Percentage of Workers Employed in Industries and Occupations at High Risk for Occupational Mortality
In 2010 in the United States, 4,690 individuals lost their lives because of an occupationally related injury. The fatal injury rate for the U.S. was 3.6 fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. (See the Indicator for Fatal Work-Related Injuries for more information on Minnesota fatalities.) This indicator focuses on the proportion of workers employed in industries and occupations at high risk for fatal work-related injuries. “High risk” industries and occupations are defined here as those with a fatal injury rate two-fold or greater than the overall mortality rate for U.S.
Two data sources are used to create this indicator: data on industries and occupations with a fatality rate at least twice the overall national rate; and the number of workers employed in those industries and occupations in Minnesota. The number of employees in each high risk category is derived from the Current Population Survey conducted by the U.S. Census.
State and national data on all fatal work-related injuries in the U.S. comes from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) –conducted annually by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The CFOI uses multiple data sources--death certificates, workers’ compensation reports, and federal and state agency administrative reports--to compile as complete a list as possible of all occupationally related fatal injuries that occur in the United States. The CFOI is a cooperative program between the states and the federal government and has been operational since 1992. Detailed information and statistics regarding job-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities can also be found in the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industries (DLI) annual Minnesota Workplace Safety Report.
As the overall work-related fatality rate has declined in the U.S, the threshold rate used in defining high risk industries and occupations (two-fold or greater rate) has also changed over time. For the time frame used in this indicator, three different threshold rates were used for defining high risk industries and occupations. For the time period 2000-2002, a fatal injury rate of 10 was used (representing 27 industries and 24 occupations). For the period 2003-2007, high risk was defined as a fatality rate of 9.5 per 100,000 workers (representing 31 industries and 57 occupations). For the period 2008-2099, high risk was defined as a fatality rate of 7.5 deaths per 100,000 workers or higher (representing 40 industries and 62 occupations).
Due to the changing rates used to define industries and occupations at high risk of work-related deaths, trend analysis was limited to the five-year period 2003- 2007. No change was found in the percentage of Minnesotans employed in these occupations.
The percentages of workers in industries or occupations at high risk of fatal injuries in Minnesota are shown in the graphs and tables shown below. Lists of high risks industries and occupations for the most recent time period (2008-2009) are also shown below.
Percentage of Minnesotans Employed in High Mortality Risk Industries. 2000-2009
Percentage of Minnesotans Employed in High Mortality Risk Occupations, 2000-2009
Percentage of Minnesotans Employed in High Mortality Risk Industries and Occupations, 2000-2009
| Year | Percentage in High Mortality Risk Industry | Percentage in High Mortality Risk Occupation |
| 2000 | 14.3 | 7.8 |
| 2001 | 14.1 | 7.4 |
| 2002 | 14.1 | 6.6 |
| 2003 | 13.6 | 9.3 |
| 2004 | 12.8 | 8.8 |
| 2005 | 12.2 | 8.0 |
| 2006 | 12.8 | 8.6 |
| 2007 | 12.5 | 8.8 |
| 2008 | 14.2 | 10.5 |
| 2009 | 12.6 | 10.5 |
High Risk Industries for Occupational Mortality, 2008-2009
| Industries |
| Crop production |
| Animal production |
| Forestry, except logging |
| Logging |
| Fishing, hunting, trapping |
| Support activities for agriculture and forestry |
| Oil and gas extraction |
| Coal mining |
| Metal ore mining |
| Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying |
| Support activities for mining |
| Construction |
| Animal food, grain, and oilseed milling |
| Sugar and confectionery products |
| Miscellaneous petroleum and coal products |
| Iron and steel mills and steel product manufacturing |
| Nonferrous metal production and processing (except aluminum) |
| Foundries |
| Ship and boat building |
| Sawmills and wood preservation |
| Veneer, plywood, and engineered wood product manufacturing |
| Recyclable material wholesalers |
| Farm product raw materials wholesalers |
| Farm supplies wholesalers |
| Wholesale electronic markets, agents, and brokers |
| Rail transportation |
| Water transportation |
| Truck transportation |
| Taxi and limousine service |
| Pipeline transportation |
| Scenic and sightseeing transportation |
| Services incidental to transportation |
| Sound recording industries |
| Other consumer good rental |
| Commercial, industrial, and other intangible assets rental and leasing |
| Landscaping services |
| Waste management and remediation services |
| Drinking places, alcoholic beverages |
| Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment repair and maintenance |
The table list industries that had a fatal injury rate at least twice the overall rate for the U.S. during 2008-2009.
High Risk Occupations for Occupational Mortality, 2008-2009
| Occupation |
| Farmers and ranchers |
| Athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers |
| Announcers |
| Fire fighters |
| Security guards and gaming surveillance officers |
| Crossing guards |
| First-line supervisors/managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers |
| Pest control workers |
| Grounds maintenance workers |
| Tour and travel guides |
| First-line supervisors/managers of farming, fishing, and forestry workers |
| Miscellaneous agricultural workers |
| Fishers and related fishing workers |
| Logging workers |
| First-line supervisors/managers of construction traders and extraction workers |
| Boilermakers |
| Brick masons, block masons, and stonemasons |
| Cement masons, concrete finishers, and terrazzo workers |
| Construction laborers |
| Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
| Operation engineers and other construction equipment operators |
| Electricians |
| Glaziers |
| Insulation workers |
| Painters, construction, and maintenance |
| Roofers |
| Structural iron and steel workers |
| Helpers, construction trades |
| Highway maintenance workers |
| Miscellaneous construction and related workers |
| Derrick, rotary drill, and service unite operators, oil, gas, and mining |
| Earth drillers, except oil and gas |
| Mining machine operators |
| Roustabouts, oil and gas |
| Other extraction workers |
| First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists |
| Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
| Maintenance workers, machinery |
| Millwrights |
| Electronic power-line installers and repairers |
| Riggers |
| Molders and molding machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic |
| Welding, soldering, and brazing workers |
| Chemical processing machine setters, operators, and tenders |
| Aircraft pilots and flight engineers |
| Driver/sales workers and truck drivers |
| Taxi drivers and chauffeurs |
| Motor vehicle operators, all other |
| Locomotive engineers and operators |
| Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators |
| Railroad conductors and yardmasters |
| Sailors and marine oilers |
| Ship and boat captains and operators |
| Ship engineers |
| Service station attendants |
| Conveyor operators and tenders |
| Crane and tower operators |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors |
| Material moving workers, all other |
