Fatalities among materials handling workers down

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, much of the decrease in worker injury is attributed to fewer fatalities on the roads. However, lift truck fatalities in the workplace remain consistent.

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 8/13/2007

There were 5,703 fatal work injuries in the United States in 2006, down slightly from the total of 5,734 fatalities in 2005, according to a new report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rate of fatal work injuries in 2006 was 3.9 per 100,000 workers, down from a rate of 4.0 per 100,000 in 2005. These numbers are preliminary, and will be updated by the Bureau in April 2008. 

The overall fatal work injury rate for the U.S. in 2006 was lower than the rate for any year since the fatality census was first conducted in 1992.

Transportation and materials moving worker fatalities decreased 6% in 2006, to a total of 1,463. This was primarily as a result of a 7% decline in motor vehicle operator fatalities (from 1,100 in 2005 to 1,021 in 2006). The overall fatality rate for transportation and material moving occupations decreased 8% in 2006 to 16.5 per 100,000 workers. The number of fatalities in this group involving lift trucks was 41 in 2006, one more than in 2005 but three fewer compared to 2004.

Transportation and warehousing fatalities decreased from 885 in 2005 to 832 in 2006--a 6% decline. The decrease was due in large part to a sharp decline in fatal injuries in general freight trucking. Rail and water transportation fatalities were also lower, but air transportation fatalities rose sharply.

Manufacturing fatalities were up 14% in 2006. The fatality rate in manufacturing rose from 2.4 fatalities per 100,000 manufacturing workers in 2005 to 2.7 per 100,000 in 2006, an increase of 13%.

Fatalities in wholesale trade also increased, while fatalities in retail trade decreased 12%. The decline in retail trade fatalities was led by a drop of close to 25% in both the rate and number of fatalities in the food and beverage stores industry. Homicides in retail trade decreased 25% in 2006 (from 184 in 2005 to 138 in 2006).

The number of workers who were fatally injured from being struck by objects was lower in 2006, after increasing for the last three years. The 583 fatalities resulting from being struck by objects in 2006 represented a 4% decline from the 2005 total.

Of the 5,703 fatal work injuries in 2006, 5,202 occurred in private industry. Service-providing industries in the private sector accounted for 47% (2,693 fatalities), while private goods-producing industries accounted for 44% (2,509 fatalities).

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. in each calendar year. The program uses diverse state and federal data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. For additional data, access the BLS Web site: www.bls.gov/iif/.