Fatal work injuries totaled 148 in 2011 for North Carolina, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that while the 2011 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in North Carolina increased by nine over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 234 in 2000 to a low of 129 in 2009. Over the last three years, the number of fatalities has trended upward, increasing by 19 since 2009.

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

Of the 148 fatal work injuries reported in North Carolina in 2011, 51 resulted from transportation incidents, 29 from violence and other injuries by persons or animals and 28 from falls, slips and trips; together these three major categories accounted for 73 percent of all fatal work injuries. Other major event categories each reported less than 25 deaths. (See table 1.) Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 26 deaths, accounting for 18 percent of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. The second largest event in transportation incidents, pedestrian vehicular incident, accounted for eight fatalities. In the violence and other injuries by persons or animals category, 17 deaths occurred from intentional shooting by other person. In the falls, slips and trips category, falls to the lower level accounted for 26 workplace 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. North Carolina's 34-percent share of on-the-job fatalities due to this event was smaller than the nationwide share. (See chart 2.) On the other hand, violence and other injuries was the second most frequent type of event nationally, with 17 percent of work-related fatalities, roughly 3 percentage points lower than the share in North Carolina. Contact with objects or 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 construction industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 31, up 5 from the previous year. (See table 2.) Falls, slips, and trips accounted for 13 of the worker deaths, while 8 fatalities were due to exposure to harmful substances or environments
• The transportation and warehousing industry had the second highest fatality count, 24, an increase of 60 percent from the previous year. Transportation incidents accounted for 18 worker deaths in this sector.
• Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 35. (See table 3.) The majority of these fatalities were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (15). Workers in construction and extraction occupations had the next highest fatality count at 25.
• Men accounted for 139, or 94 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up one-third of these fatalities.
• In North Carolina, 67 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were white non-Hispanics. Nationwide, this group accounted for 71 percent of work-related deaths.
• Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 97, or 66 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 148 workers that suffered fatal work injuries in North Carolina, 79 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remaining 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: http://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 North Carolina Department of Labor.