Preventing Occupational Fatalities: A review of findings from a recent industry forum

• Published in: Professional safety 2009-03, Vol.54 (3), p.29-32
• Main Authors: Cekada, Tracey L., Janicak, Christopher A., Ferguson, Lon H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Safety Management
• ISSN: 0099-0027; 2163-6176

THE FATALITY PREVENTION FORUM was held in early November 2007. Hosted by the Safety Sciences Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in cooperation with the Alcoa Foundation, the forum examined key aspects of the complex relationships between the work environment, workforce and leadership, and howthese relationships affect the safety and health management system as they relate to hazards with the potential for fatal consequences. The goalwas to identify contributing causes and organizational weaknesses that increase the likelihood for occupational fatalities. Based on these aspects, solutions and best practices for preventing fatalities were identified as were areas of future research. Fatality Experience in the U.S. To provide a framework and some context regarding the extent of fatalities in the workplace, the fatality experience in the U.S. was analyzed. Summary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) was used to prepare this analysis. The CFOI provides comprehensive counts of fatal work injuries. It is a federal-state cooperative program that has been in place in all 50 states and the District of Columbia since 1992, with data being collected through the various state agencies (BLS, 2007a). In 2006, 5,840 fatal work injuries were reported in the U.S. This was a slight increase from the revised total of 5,734 fatalities in 2005. The rate of fatal work injuries in 2006 was 4.0 per 100,000 workers, which equaled the rate for 2005 (BLS, 2007b). Fatalities by Industry The four industries with the highest fatality rates are agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (30.0 fatalities per 100,000 workers);mining (28.1 fatalities per 100,000 workers); transportation and warehousing (16.8 fatalities per 100,000 workers); and construction (10.9 fatalities per 100,000 workers). Additional rates are shown in Table 1 (p. 30). Fatalities by Event The fourmost frequently identified fatal events are highway incidents, homicides, falls and struck-by accidents. Since 1992, highway incidents have been the most frequently cited fatal event each year. While the frequency of these events has increased or decreased year to year, the numbers remained relatively constant until 2006. While highway accidents still account for nearly one of four fatal work injuries, the number of highway incidents fell 8%in 2006. The 1,329 fatal highway incidents in 2006 was the lowest annual total since 1993 (BLS, 2007b). Occupati