Fatal work injuries totaled 77 in 2011 for Kansas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that while the 2011 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in Kansas declined by 8 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 106 in 1994 to a low of 73 in 2008. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,609 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2011, down from a final count of 4,690 fatal work injuries in 2010, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Final 2011 data from the CFOI program will be released in Spring 2013.

Of the 77 fatal work injuries reported in Kansas in 2011, nearly half resulted from transportation incidents (38). Other major event categories each reported nine or fewer deaths. (See table 1.) Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 22 deaths; in fact, it accounted for more than one-fourth of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. The second largest event in transportation incidents, nonroadway incidents occurring in locations such as farms, commercial, or industrial premises, accounted for eight fatalities.

In the United States, transportation incidents were also the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2011, accounting for 41 percent of fatal work injuries. However, Kansas’s 49-percent share of on-the-job fatalities due to this event was larger than the nationwide share. (See chart 2.) On the other hand, violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second most frequent type of event nationally, with 17 percent of work-related fatalities, 8 percentage points higher than the share in Kansas. Contact with objects and equipment (15 percent) and falls, slips, and trips (14 percent) were the third and fourth most frequent events, respectively, in the nation.

Additional key characteristics:

• The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 22, the same count as the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents accounted for 14 of the worker deaths, while 5 fatalities were due to contact with objects or equipment.
• The construction industry had the second highest fatality count with 11; the count was 10 in the prior year. Exposure to harmful substances or environments accounted for four worker deaths and transportation incidents were responsible for three fatalities in this sector.
• Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 25. (See table 3.) The majority of these fatalities were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (11). Workers in management occupations had the second highest fatality count at 17, followed by those in construction and extraction occupations at 11.
• Men accounted for 70, or 91 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up nearly half (47 percent) of these fatalities.
• In Kansas, 87 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were white non-Hispanic. Nationwide, this group accounted for 71 percent of work-related deaths.
• Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 42, or 55 percent, of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2011. Nationally, workers in this group accounted for 60 percent of on-the-job fatalities.
• Of the 77 persons that suffered fatal work injuries in Kansas, 71 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for both groups was transportation incidents.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational safety and health statistics program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the United States during the calendar year. The program uses diverse state, federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This assures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.

For technical information about the CFOI program, please go to the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS web site here: www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch9_a1.htm. The technical information and definitions for the CFOI Program are in Chapter 9, Part III of the BLS Handbook of Methods.

Federal/State agency coverage. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all fatal work injuries, whether the decedent was working in a job covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or other federal or state agencies or was outside the scope of regulatory coverage. Thus, any comparison between the BLS fatality census counts and those released by other agencies should take into account the different coverage requirements and definitions being used by each agency.

Acknowledgments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that submitted source documents used to identify fatal work injuries, in particular the Kansas Department of Labor.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, Kansas, 2011(P)

Event or exposure(1)	Number	Percent
Total	77	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	7	9
Intentional injury by person	5	6
Intentional injury by other person	4	5
Shooting by other person--intentional	4	5
Transportation incidents	38	49
Pedestrian vehicular incident	6	8
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area	4	5
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	22	29
Roadway collision with other vehicle	9	12
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	3	4
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	4	5
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	4	5
Roadway noncollision incident	8	10
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	8	10
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	8	10
Nonroadway noncollision incident	8	10
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	6	8
Dust explosion	6	8
Fires and Explosions	8	10
Explosions	7	9
Falls, slips, trips	8	10
Falls to lower level	7	9
Other fall to lower level	5	6
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	7	9
Exposure to electricity	4	5
Direct exposure to electricity	3	4
Contact with objects and equipment	9	12
Struck by object or equipment	7	9
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	3	4
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	4	5
Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery--other than vehicle part	3	4
Footnotes: (1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward. (P) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2011 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2013.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Kansas, 2010-2011

Industry(1)	2010	2011(P)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	85	77	100
Private industry	78	74	96
Natural resources and mining	24	27	35
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	22	22	29
Crop production	9	9	12
Animal production	12	13	17
Cattle ranching and farming	11	12	16
Beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots	8	3	4
Mining(2)	--	5	6
Construction	10	11	14
Construction	10	11	14
Heavy and civil engineering construction	--	3	4
Specialty trade contractors	6	6	8
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	--	4	5
Roofing contractors	--	3	4
Manufacturing	7	8	10
Manufacturing	7	8	10
Trade, transportation, and utilities	26	19	25
Wholesale trade	8	8	10
Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods	5	8	10
Farm product raw material merchant wholesalers	4	7	9
Grain and field bean merchant wholesalers	--	6	8
Retail trade	10	2	3
Transportation and warehousing	7	9	12
Truck transportation	6	7	9
General freight trucking	--	4	5
General freight trucking, long-distance	--	3	4
Professional and business services	3	8	10
Professional, scientific, and technical services	--	2	3
Administrative and waste services	--	6	8
Administrative and support services	--	4	5
Services to buildings and dwellings	--	3	4
Landscaping services	--	3	4
Education and health services	4	1	1
Health care and social assistance	4	1	1
Government(3)	7	3	4
Local	5	1	1
Footnotes: (1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Total may include other industries not shown. (2) Includes fatal injuries at all establishments categorized as Mining (Sector 21) in the North American Industry Classification System, including establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in Oil and Gas Extraction. (3) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry. Includes all fatal occupational injuries meeting this ownership criterion across all specified years, regardless of industry classification system. (P) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2011 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2013.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Kansas, 2010-2011

Occupation(1)	2010	2011(P)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	85	77	100
Management occupations	20	17	22
Other management occupations	20	17	22
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	19	17	22
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	19	17	22
Protective service occupations	4	1	1
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	--	3	4
Grounds maintenance workers	--	3	4
Grounds maintenance workers	--	3	4
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	3	7	9
Agricultural workers	--	7	9
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	--	5	6
Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals	--	3	4
Construction and extraction occupations	10	11	14
Construction trades workers	6	8	10
Production occupations	8	5	6
Transportation and material moving occupations	19	25	32
Motor vehicle operators	13	12	16
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	12	12	16
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	10	11	14
Material moving workers	5	9	12
Laborers and material movers, hand	--	6	8
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	--	6	8
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data for 2010 are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2000. Occupation data for 2011 are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. Total may include occupations not shown. (P) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2011 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2013.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics, Kansas, 2010-2011

Worker characteristics	2010	2011(P)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	85	77	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers(1)	57	55	71
Self-employed(2)	28	22	29
Gender
Men	79	70	91
Women	6	7	9
Age(3)
Under 16 years	--	2	3
20 to 24 years	5	6	8
25 to 34 years	9	10	13
35 to 44 years	11	13	17
45 to 54 years	19	19	25
55 to 64 years	22	13	17
65 years and over	18	14	18
Race or ethnic origin(4)
White, non-Hispanic	78	67	87
Black or African-American (non-Hispanic)	3	1	1
Hispanic or Latino	4	9	12
Footnotes: (1) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation. (2) Includes self-employed workers, owners of unincorporated businesses and farms, paid and unpaid family workers, and may include some owners of incorporated businesses or members of partnerships. (3) Information may not be available for all age groups. (4) Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories shown exclude Hispanic and Latino workers. (P) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2011 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2013.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Last Modified Date: November 8, 2012

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