Fatal work injuries totaled 177 in 2011 for Illinois, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that while the 2011 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in Illinois decreased by 29 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 262 in 1996 to a low of 158 in 2009. (See chart 1.)

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

Of the 177 fatal work injuries reported in Illinois in 2011, 54 resulted from transportation incidents, 44 from violence and other injuries by persons or animals, and 29 from falls, slips, and trips; together these three major categories accounted for almost three-quarters of all workplace fatalities. Other major event categories each reported 25 or fewer deaths. (See table 1.) Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 25 deaths; in fact, it accounted for 14 percent of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. The second-largest event in transportation incidents, nonroadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles, accounted for 12 fatalities. In the violence and other injuries by persons or animals category, 29 deaths resulted from intentional injury by another person. In the falls, slips, and trips category, 25 workers were killed by falling to a lower level.

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, Illinois’s 31-percent share of on-the-job fatalities due to this event was much smaller 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 lower than the share in Illinois. 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 transportation and warehousing industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 32, down from 34 the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents accounted for 20 of the worker deaths.
• The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry had the second highest fatality count with 22, an increase of 2 over the year. Transportation incidents accounted for eight worker deaths in this sector.
• Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 46. (See table 3.) The majority of these fatalities were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (24). Workers in management occupations had the next highest fatality count at 27.
• Men accounted for 153, or 86 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up almost one-third of these fatalities.
• In Illinois, 72 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 114, or nearly two-thirds 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 177 workers that suffered fatal work injuries in Illinois, 76 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 U.S. 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 Illinois Department of Public Health.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, Illinois, 2011(p)

Event or exposure(1)	Number	Percent
Total	177	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	44	25
Intentional injury by person	43	24
Intentional injury by other person	29	16
Shooting by other person--intentional	24	14
Self-inflicted injury--intentional	14	8
Shooting--intentional self-harm	7	4
Transportation incidents	54	31
Pedestrian vehicular incident	10	6
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	25	14
Roadway collision with other vehicle	15	8
Roadway collision--moving in same direction	5	3
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	5	3
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	7	4
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	7	4
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	12	7
Nonroadway noncollision incident	8	5
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	8	5
Falls, slips, trips	29	16
Falls to lower level	25	14
Other fall to lower level	22	12
Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet	5	3
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	25	14
Exposure to electricity	10	6
Direct exposure to electricity	6	3
Exposure to other harmful substances	11	6
Nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol--unintentional overdose	6	3
Contact with objects and equipment	20	11
Struck by object or equipment	10	6
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	6	3
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	8	5
Caught in running equipment or machinery	6	3
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, Illinois, 2010-2011

Industry(1)	2010	2011(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	206	177	100
Private industry	183	161	91
Natural resources and mining	21	22	12
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	20	22	12
Crop production	19	17	10
Oilseed and grain farming	6	8	5
Support activities for agriculture and forestry	--	5	3
Construction	27	21	12
Construction	27	21	12
Specialty trade contractors	22	15	8
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	8	7	4
Manufacturing	22	14	8
Manufacturing	22	14	8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	60	53	30
Wholesale trade	10	7	4
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	8	5	3
Retail trade	14	12	7
Food and beverage stores	5	9	5
Grocery stores	4	7	4
Convenience stores	--	5	3
Transportation and warehousing	34	32	18
Truck transportation	25	21	12
General freight trucking	13	9	5
Specialized freight trucking	12	12	7
Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, long-distance	11	11	6
Transit and ground passenger transportation	3	5	3
Taxi and limousine service	--	5	3
Taxi service	--	5	3
Professional and business services	15	16	9
Administrative and waste services	11	13	7
Administrative and support services	8	10	6
Services to buildings and dwellings	6	6	3
Landscaping services	5	6	3
Educational and health services	11	8	5
Health care and social assistance	9	6	3
Leisure and hospitality	11	11	6
Accommodation and food services	7	7	4
Food services and drinking places	6	7	4
Other services, except public administration	9	9	5
Other services, except public administration	9	9	5
Government(2)	23	16	9
Local government(3)	19	12	7
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 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. (3) 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, Illinois, 2010-2011

Occupation(1)	2010	2011(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	206	177	100
Management occupations	36	27	15
Other management occupations	29	22	12
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	16	13	7
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	16	13	7
Protective service occupations	15	12	7
Other protective service workers	--	8	5
Security guards and gaming surveillance officers	--	8	5
Security guards	--	8	5
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	11	14	8
Grounds maintenance workers	5	8	5
Grounds maintenance workers	5	8	5
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	3	8	5
Sales and related occupations	16	9	5
Supervisors of sales workers	13	5	3
First-line supervisors of sales workers	13	5	3
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	5	7	4
Agricultural workers	4	7	4
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	4	7	4
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse	--	7	4
Construction and extraction occupations	20	19	11
Construction trades workers	17	18	10
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	8	14	8
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4	10	6
Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers	--	6	3
Production occupations	8	8	5
Transportation and material moving occupations	58	46	26
Motor vehicle operators	39	31	18
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	36	26	15
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	33	24	14
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	--	5	3
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	--	5	3
Material moving workers	15	11	6
Laborers and material movers, hand	11	11	6
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	10	11	6
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, Illinois, 2010-2011

Worker characteristics	2010	2011(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	206	177	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers(1)	151	135	76
Self-employed(2)	55	42	24
Gender
Men	190	153	86
Women	16	24	14
Age(3)
20 to 24 years	8	7	4
25 to 34 years	31	29	16
35 to 44 years	34	45	25
45 to 54 years	67	40	23
55 to 64 years	37	28	16
65 years and over	27	24	14
Race or ethnic origin(4)
White, non-Hispanic	156	128	72
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	21	21	12
Hispanic or Latino	25	25	14
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