Fatal work injuries totaled 39 in 2011 for Nebraska, 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 Nebraska decreased by 15 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 83 in 1994 and 2002 to a low of 36 in 2005. The number of workplace fatalities in 2011 was the second-lowest since the series began in 1992. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,609 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2011, down 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 39 fatal work injuries reported in Nebraska in 2011, 25 resulted from transportation incidents; this category accounted for 64 percent of all fatal work injuries. Other major event categories each reported five or fewer deaths. Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 15 deaths, accounting for 38 percent of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. The second-largest event in transportation incidents, non-roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles, accounted for seven fatalities. (See table 1.)

In the United States, transportation incidents were also the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2011, accounting for 41 percent of fatal work injuries. Nebraska’s 64-percent share of on-the-job fatalities due to this event was larger than the nationwide share. (See chart 2.) Violence and other injuries was the second most frequent type of event nationally, with 17 percent of work-related fatalities. 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 agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 18, the same as recorded in the previous year. (See table 2.) Within this industry sector, transportation incidents accounted for 12 worker deaths.
• Construction and transportation and warehousing recorded four fatalities each, down from seven and nine fatalities, respectively, in 2010. Transportation incidents accounted for three on-the-job fatalities in construction and all the worker deaths in transportation and warehousing.
• Management occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 11. (See table 3.) The majority of these fatalities were farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers with 10. Workers in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations had the next highest fatality count at eight.
• Men accounted for 32, or 82 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 69 percent of these fatalities.
• In Nebraska, 87 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 11 fatalities, or 28 percent, of the state’s work-related deaths in 2011. Workers in this group nationally accounted for 60 percent of on-the-job fatalities.
• Of the 39 persons that suffered fatal work injuries in Nebraska, 67 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 Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court.

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

Event or exposure(1)	Number	Percent
Total	39	100
Transportation incidents	25	64
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	15	38
Roadway collision with other vehicle	5	13
Roadway collision--moving in same direction	3	8
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	4	10
Roadway noncollision incident	6	15
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	5	13
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	7	18
Nonroadway noncollision incident	6	15
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	5	13
Falls, slips, trips	3	8
Contact with objects and equipment	5	13
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, Nebraska, 2010-2011

Industry(1)	2010	2011(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	54	39	100
Private industry	49	34	87
Natural resources and mining	18	19	49
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	18	18	46
Crop production	11	12	31
Animal production	5	6	15
Cattle ranching and farming	--	6	15
Beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots	--	3	8
Construction	7	4	10
Construction	7	4	10
Specialty trade contractors	5	3	8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	16	5	13
Transportation and warehousing	9	4	10
Government(2)	5	5	13
Local government(3)	4	3	8
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, Nebraska, 2010-2011

Occupation(1)	2010	2011(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	54	39	100
Management occupations	19	11	28
Other management occupations	18	11	28
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	14	10	26
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	14	10	26
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	--	8	21
Agricultural workers	--	7	18
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	--	7	18
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse	--	4	10
Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals	--	3	8
Construction and extraction occupations	7	5	13
Construction trades workers	7	4	10
Transportation and material moving occupations	17	6	15
Motor vehicle operators	12	6	15
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	12	5	13
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	11	4	10
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, Nebraska, 2010-2011

Worker characteristics	2010	2011(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	54	39	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers(1)	33	26	67
Self-employed(2)	21	13	33
Gender
Men	51	32	82
Women	3	7	18
Age(3)
20 to 24 years	--	4	10
25 to 34 years	7	3	8
45 to 54 years	14	8	21
55 to 64 years	10	13	33
65 years and over	9	8	21
Race or ethnic origin(4)
White, non-Hispanic	48	34	87
Hispanic or Latino	3	3	8
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