By Debra Auerbach,
CareerBuilder Writer
Every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases data on workplace fatalities, including industries with the highest fatality rates. While some sectors that made the list aren't surprising due to the nature of the work -- transportation and mining, for example -- others, such as professional and business services, may be more unexpected.
According to the most recent report, 4,609 fatal work injuries were recorded in the U.S. in 2011. While it's difficult to find good news in this type of report, this preliminary number was down from 4,690 in 2010.
Industries known for high fatality rates also saw a downward trend in year-over-year deaths. The number of fatal work injuries in the private construction sector declined by 7 percent in 2011. Economic conditions, which caused the delay or termination of construction projects, may explain some of this decline. Fatal coal mining injuries also declined sharply, from 43 in 2010 to 17 in 2011; the 2010 number reflected a spike caused by the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster. However, fatal work injuries in the professional and business services sector, a less obvious group that includes marketing, human resources and payroll services, were up 16 percent.
10 sectors with the highest fatal work injury rates (per 100,000 full-time workers):
1. Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Fatal work injury rate: 24.4
Number of fatal work injuries: 557
2. Mining
Fatal work injury rate: 15.8
Number of fatal work injuries: 154
3. Transportation and warehousing
Fatal work injury rate: 15.0
Number of fatal work injuries: 733
4. Construction
Fatal work injury rate: 8.9
Number of fatal work injuries: 721
5. Wholesale trade
Fatal work injury rate: 4.9
Number of fatal work injuries: 189
6. Utilities
Fatal work injury rate: 4.2
Number of fatal work injuries: 39
7. Professional and business services
Fatal work injury rate: 2.9
Number of fatal work injuries: 424
8. Other services (e.g., equipment and machinery repairing, promoting or administering religious activities, grant-making)
Fatal work injury rate: 2.9
Number of fatal work injuries: 177
9. Government
Fatal work injury rate: 2.2
Number of fatal work injuries: 495
10. Manufacturing
Fatal work injury rate: 2.2
Number of fatal work injuries: 322
10 occupations with high fatal work injury rates (per 100,000 full-time workers):
1. Fishers and related fishing workers
Fatal work injury rate: 121.2
2. Loggers
Fatal work injury rate: 102.4
3. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
Fatal work injury rate: 57.0
4. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
Fatal work injury rate: 41.2
5. Roofers
Fatal work injury rate: 31.8
6. Structural iron and steel workers
Fatal work injury rate: 26.9
7. Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers
Fatal work injury rate: 25.3
8. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
Fatal work injury rate: 24.0
9. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Fatal work injury rate: 20.3
10. Taxi drivers and chauffeurs
Fatal work injury rate: 19.7
The report also includes information on the causes of these workplace fatalities. Topping the list is transportation incidents, which accounted for more than two out of every five fatal work injuries. Also high on the list? Workplace violence, with 458 homicides and 242 suicides recorded in 2011.
Fatal occupational injuries by major event:
- Transportation incidents -- 41 percent
- Violence and other injuries by people or animals -- 17 percent
- Contact with objects and equipment -- 15 percent
- Falls, slips and trips -- 14 percent
- Exposure to harmful substances and environments -- 9 percent
- Fires and explosions -- 3 percent