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May 2002 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Research & Analysis Section Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services Oregon 1999

Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Oregon, 1999 · 2002-05-22 · Workers struck by vehicles 3 27 Water craft accidents 2 18 Aircraft accidents 12 24 Railway accidents 1 2 Contact

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Page 1: Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Oregon, 1999 · 2002-05-22 · Workers struck by vehicles 3 27 Water craft accidents 2 18 Aircraft accidents 12 24 Railway accidents 1 2 Contact

May 2002

Census of FatalOccupational Injuries

Research & Analysis SectionOregon Department of Consumer& Business Services

Oregon 1999

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Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries,Fatal Work-Related Injuries, Oregon, 1999

Department of Consumer & Business ServicesDirector, Mary Neidig

Information Management DivisionAdministrator, Dan Adelman

Research & Analysis SectionManager, Ed Bissell

Assistant Manager, Ronni RacheleResearch Analyst, Stacey BarnhartResearch Analyst, Elizabeth Priddy

May 2002

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), this publicationis available in alternate formats by calling (503) 378-4100 V/TTY).

The information in this report is in the public domain and may be reprintedwithout permission. Visit the DCBS Web site at: http://www.cbs.state.or.us

To receive publications in an electronic format, see the Information Management WebBoard at:http://www.cbs.state.or.us/imd/notify.html

Research & Analysis Section350 Winter St. NE, Room 300Salem, OR 97301-3880(503) 378-8254

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Table of contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 1Findings in brief ............................................................................................................................................... 2Industries and occupations .............................................................................................................................. 3Fatal events ..................................................................................................................................................... 4Fatality rates ................................................................................................................................................... 9Appendix A: Definitions and methodology .................................................................................................... 12Appendix B: National and Oregon CFOI data, 1999 .................................................................................... 14Appendix C: Source documents .................................................................................................................... 15Appendix D: Listing of CFOI fatal injuries, Oregon, 1999 ............................................................................ 16

Text tables1. Fatal injuries by industry, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999 .......................................................................... 32. Fatal events, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999 ............................................................................................. 43. Sources of fatal injuries, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999........................................................................... 54. Fatal events by industry, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999........................................................................... 65. Fatal events by occupation, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999 ...................................................................... 66. Activities at the time of injury, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999 ................................................................. 77. Locations where fatal injuries occurred, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999 .................................................. 78. Regions in which the events occurred, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999 .................................................... 89. Workers’ ages at the time of injury, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999 ......................................................... 8

10. Fatality rates by industry, Oregon, 1995-1999 .................................................................................. 10

Figures1. Fatal injuries, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999 ............................................................................................ 32. Fatal injuries by occupation, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999 ..................................................................... 43. Employee status, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999 ...................................................................................... 54. Fatalities by county of injury, Oregon, CFOI, 1999 ............................................................................ 9

Appendix tablesB1. Fatal injuries by industry, CFOI, national and Oregon distributions, 1999 ......................................... 14B2. Fatal events, CFOI, national and Oregon distributions, 1999 ............................................................ 14C1. Source documents received, Oregon, CFOI, 1999 ........................................................................... 15C2. Distribution of source documents, Oregon, CFOI, 1999................................................................... 15D1. CFOI fatal injuries, Oregon, 1999 ..................................................................................................... 16

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1

Introduction

In 1991, the Information Management Division of theDepartment of Consumer & Business Services begangathering data on work-related fatalities for a newfederal/state cooperative program. The Census of FatalOccupational Injuries (CFOI) program was developedas a cooperative program between the U.S. Bureau ofLabor Statistics (BLS) and participating states. Thefatalities included in this report are those for which thedeath or incident occurred in the reference state, duringthe reference year, and are work-related.

The CFOI program was initiated because the existingcounting methods produced widely different figures. Thefatality counts reported by the states were usually limitedto those fatalities covered by workers’ compensation lawor reported on death certificates as having occurred atwork. Oregon has recorded compensable workers’compensation fatalities since 1943, and the compensablefatality count remains the count used in officialpublications.

Thirty-two states, including Oregon, and New York City,took part in the CFOI program in 1991. In 1992, afterseveral years of testing, the fatality census wasimplemented in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The program’s goals are to gather a complete census ofthe nation’s and states’ fatal work-related injuries and topresent relevant information about these deaths.

The information presented here is used for injurysurveillance and to establish workplace safety programs.The data are used to identify hazardous industries andoccupations; to identify industries and occupations wheresafety standards are needed; to direct government andbusiness funds for safety programs to needed areas; andto encourage employers and employees to promote safework environments.

As a national program, CFOI provides a uniform definitionfor work-related fatalities. The program also covers alarger population base than covered by workers’compensation; it includes nearly all workers who areengaged in legal work activities regardless of industry orregulatory coverage of an establishment. A fulldescription of the CFOI program is included in AppendixA, and national data are provided in Appendix B.

Because of the long lags between a fatal event and thereceipt of all the source documents, the data may beincomplete and may be updated at a later date.

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2

Findings in Brief

! The Department of Consumer & Business Services,Information Management Division received notificationof 69 fatalities in the CFOI program during the 1999calendar year. This is a 4.2 percent decrease from the72 recorded in 1998. For comparison, there were anaverage of 76.6 fatalities per year for the five-yearperiod 1995-1999.

! There were 16 fatalities in the manufacturing industryin 1999, compared to 17 in 1998. During the five years1995-1999, the manufacturing industry averaged 15.4fatalities per year.

! Three of the 69 fatalities (4.3 percent) were in the retailindustry, compared to seven (9.7 percent) of the 72 in1998.

! Motor vehicle accidents were the leading event in 1999,claiming 21 lives.

! All five of the assaults and violent acts committed in1999 were homicides, compared to two homicides in1998.

! Two fatalities were caused by water vehicle accidentsin 1999, compared to five in 1998. There were threefatalities to workers struck by vehicles compared tosix in 1998.

! Nine truck drivers were killed in 1999. There werefifteen truck drivers killed in 1998. There were fivelogger fatalities in 1999, compared to six loggers killedin 1998.

! Of the 69 people who died in work-related accidents in1999, 92.8 percent were men and 7.2 percent werewomen, compared to 93.1 percent men and 6.9 percentwomen in 1998.

! The youngest worker killed was an 18-year-oldconstruction laborer who fell from a ladder and wasimpaled by a wooden stake that he landed on. Theoldest worker was a 72-year-old funeral escort driverkilled when a car drove in front of the worker’smotorcycle and the two crashed.

! Ten fatalities occurred in Lane county, and sevenfatalities occurred in Multnomah county. Yamhill countyhad seven fatalities in 1999, compared to one in 1998.

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3

Industries & Occupations

From 1995-1999, construction, and transportation andpublic utilities recorded 62 deaths, the highest number offatalites.

Fifty-four of the 383 fatally injured workers during 1995-1999 were self-employed or members of familybusinesses. These included 22 workers in agriculture,forestry or fishing, 12 in the transportation and publicutilities industry, and seven in the services industry.

Figure 1 shows the fatal occupational injuries count forthe period 1995-1999 in Oregon. There were 69 fatalitiesin the CFOI program during 1999. The year 1999 marksthe lowest count since the survey began. There were anaverage of 76.6 fatalities per year for the five-year period1995-1999.

Figure 2 shows the occupations of the 383 fatally injuredworkers. Motor vehicle operators are included in the“operators, fabricators, laborers” category. Of the 78motor vehicle operators who died during the five-yearperiod, 67 were truck drivers. Forty-three of theseworkers were employed in the transportation and publicutilities industry; 13 were in manufacturing. Thirty-twologgers and foresters also died; 20 were employed in thelogging industry. Thirty-three farmers and farm workersdied in job-related incidents.

Table 1 shows the industries in which fatal injuriesoccurred in 1999, and for 1995 through 1999 combined.Around 20 percent of the fatalities for 1995 through 1999occurred in manufacturing industries; withinmanufacturing, the wood products industry recorded 46of the 77 (59.7 percent) total fatalities.

Table 1. Fatal injuries by industry, OregonCFOI, 1995-1999

1995-1999Industry 1999 Number Percent

Agric, forestry, fishing 6 55 14.4Agriculture 3 32Forestry 1 7Fishing 2 16

Mining 0 7 1.8Construction 11 62 16.2

Special trade contractors 2 23Manufacturing 16 77 20.1

Wood products 9 46Logging 3 30Sawmills & planing mills 3 6Other wood products 3 10

Other manufacturing 7 31Transport & public utilities 14 62 16.2

Motor freight transport 8 44Wholesale trade 1 13 3.4

Durable goods 0 7Retail trade 3 30 7.8Finance, ins & real est 1 5 1.3Services 10 44 11.5

Business services 2 9Private sector total 62 355Public sector1 7 28 7.3TOTAL 69 383 100.0

Notes: Industries are classified according to the Standard IndustrialClassification Manual, 1987 edition.

1“Public sector” includes all public sector employees,regardless of the SIC Code of their agency. Due to rounding,sum of percents may not equal 100.0.

Figure 1. Fatal injuries, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999

7385 84

72 69

0102030405060708090

100

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Fata

l occ

upat

iona

l inj

urie

s

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4

Fatal Events

Table 2 shows the distribution of the events which resultedin the 383 work-related deaths recorded from 1995through 1999. Transportation accidents resulted in 52.5percent of the fatalities. One-hundred-two of these deathswere the result of highway accidents. Twenty-sevenworkers were killed from being struck by a vehicle. Thisincludes being run over on a roadway or run over by avehicle that was backing up.

Contact with objects and equipment includes accidentsin which workers were struck by objects or caught in orby machinery. In the five-year period, 41 workers diedafter being struck by falling or swinging objects, most

often trees or logs. Thirty-three workers died after gettingcaught in running machinery.

The other common types of fatal events were falls,electrocutions, fires and explosions, and workplaceviolence. The number of fatal workplace assaultsdecreased by one in 1999, bringing the total for the fiveyears to 33. As shown in Appendix B, 10.8 percent ofthe workplace fatalities reported nationwide in 1999 werehomicides; in Oregon, 7.2 percent of the workplacefatalities in 1999 were homicides. Of the five womenkilled on the job in 1999, two died as a result of workplaceviolence.

In addition to the event, the CFOI data set includes theobject which was the direct cause of the fatal injury.Table 3 shows the primary source of injury to be motorvehicles for the 383 deaths during 1995-1999.

Calendar years 1995-1999

Precisionproducts,carft, rep

occup55

Farming,forestry,fishing

81

Serviceoccupation

23

Tech, sales,adminsupport

33

Militaryoccupation

1

Managerial,professional

44

Operators,fabricators,

laborers146

Figure 2. Fatal injuries by occupation, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999

Calendar year 1999

Operators, fabricators,

laborers24

Precision products,

craft, rep occup10

Farming, forestry, fishing

11

Service occupation

6

Tech, sales, admin support

5

Military occupation

0

Managerial, professional

13

Table 2. Fatal events, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999 1995-1999

Event 1999 Number PercentTransportation accidents 36 201 52.5

Highway accidents 12 102Non-highway accidents 6 28Workers struck by vehicles 3 27Water craft accidents 2 18Aircraft accidents 12 24Railway accidents 1 2

Contact with objects & equipment 18 82 21.4Struck against objects 0 1Struck by objects 4 41Caught in or compressed by equip 10 33Caught in/crushed by collapsing mat’l 4 6

Falls 5 36 9.4Assaults & violent acts 5 33 8.6

Homicides 5 19Self-inflicted injuries 0 14

Exposure to harmful substance & envir 5 22 5.7Electrocutions 3 8Exposure to caustic, noxious or 1 6

allergenic substancesOxygen deficiency 0 6Contact with temperature extremes 0 1Exposure to air pressure changes 1 1

Fires & explosions 0 5 1.3Other events 0 4 1.0

TOTAL 69 383 100.0

Notes: Events are classified according to the 1992 BLS OccupationalInjury and Illness Classification Structures. Due to rounding,sum of percents may not equal 100.0.Not all totals in the subcategories will equal the total in themajor categories.1Other events include “Bodily reaction and overexertion,” and“Unknown” event.

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5

Surfaces were the primary sources of injuries in mostfalls. Machinery was the source in 47 fatalities in 1995-1999; 70.2 percent of the machinery that workers werestruck by or caught in was construction and loggingmachinery.

Figure 3 shows the distribution of fatal injuries for fourgroups of workers: wage employees, self-employed andfamily business workers, armed forces, and volunteers.For all four groups, transportation accidents were theleading cause of death during the five-year period.

Contact with objects was the second leading cause ofdeath for wage employees and self-employed and familybusiness workers.

Fatal events are summarized in Tables 4 through 9 byindustry, occupation, worker activities, region, location,

and age. In each of these tables, the first column showsthe distribution for 1999 and the next two columns containthe distribution for the 383 fatalities that occurred in thefive-year span, 1995 through 1999.

Table 4 shows the most common fatal events in each ofthe industrial sectors. Workers in the agriculture, forestry,and fishing industries suffered from a variety of fatalevents. Included in this industry’s five year transportationaccident totals were 15 water vehicle accidents and 15motor vehicle accidents. Twelve workers died due to con-tact with objects, five workers were fatally injured byexposure to harmful substances, five workers died fromfalls, and one worker died from an assault or violent act.

In the construction industry, transportation accidents werethe leading cause of death, accounting for 25 of the 62deaths in the five-year period. In six of the 25 transportationaccidents, workers were struck by a vehicle. Contactwith objects was the next leading causes of death with15 fatalities.

Figure 3. Employee status,Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999

Calendar year 1999

Wage employees

59

Volunteers1

Self-employedfamily business

9

Calendar years 1995-1999

Wageemployees

326

Volunteers2

Armedforces

1

Self-employed family business

54

Table 3. Sources of fatal injuries, Oregon,CFOI, 1995-1999

1995-1999Source 1999 Number Percent

Vehicles 35 194 50.7Highway vehicles 17 128Industrial vehicles & tractors 3 19Railway vehicle 0 3Aircraft vehicle 12 24Water vehicle 2 19

Structures & surfaces 7 40 10.4Floors, ground 3 31

Machinery 8 47 12.3Construction & logging machines 5 33Material handling machinery 2 5

Persons, plants & animals 4 24 6.3Plants (trees) 2 17

Other sources1 4 36 9.4Ammunition 3 24Atmosphere & environment 0 6Water 1 6

Parts & materials 5 22 5.7Electric parts 1 6

Other categories2 6 20 5.2TOTAL 69 383 100.0

Notes: Sources are classified according to the 1992 BLS Occupa-tional Injury and Illness Classification Manual. Due torounding, sum of percents may not equal 100.0.1 “Other sources” is a defined category consisting ofmiscellaneous sources of injury. “Atmosphere &environment” includes several sources, chiefly fire andsmoke.2 Other categories include “Chemicals and chemicalproducts,” “Containers,” “Furniture and fixtures,” “Tools,instruments, and equipment,” and “Unknown” source.

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Table 4. Fatal events by industry, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999

1995-1999 Transp Contact Violent Expo- Fires & OtherIndustry 1999 Number Percent accidents w/objects Falls acts sure explosions events

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 6 55 14.4 32 12 5 1 5 0 0Mining 0 7 1.8 4 2 0 0 0 1 0Construction 11 62 16.2 25 15 14 2 5 0 1Manufacturing 16 77 20.1 29 33 4 3 4 2 2

Logging 3 30 7.8 12 16 1 0 0 0 1Sawmills & other wood products 6 16 4.2 2 11 0 0 1 1 1Other manufacturing 7 31 8.1 15 6 3 3 3 1 0

Transportation & public utilities 14 62 16.2 53 1 4 3 1 0 0Wholesale & retail trade 4 43 11.2 20 3 6 13 1 0 0Finance, insurance & real estate 1 5 1.3 2 1 0 2 0 0 0Services 10 44 11.5 23 10 2 4 3 1 1Public sector 7 28 7.3 13 5 1 5 3 1 0

TOTAL 69 383 100.0 201 82 36 33 22 5 4

Notes: Industries are classified according to the Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 edition. “Public sector” includes allpublic sector employees, regardless of the SIC code of their agency. Due to rounding, the sum of percents may not equal 100.0.

In logging, the majority of deaths occurred when workerswere struck by objects, often falling trees. In other woodproduct industries, the deaths were usually caused whenworkers were struck by objects or caught in machinery.

In the wholesale and retail trades, transportationaccidents and violent acts were the most common fatalevents, with 20 transportation accidents, and 13 violentacts during the five-year period. All of the 13 fatalitiesfrom violent acts were in the retail industry.

Transportation accidents were the most common causeof death in the public sector. The second leading causeof death was from both violent acts and contact withobjects, with five of the 28 public sector fatalities each.

The most common fatal events for the differentoccupational groups are presented in Table 5.Transportation accidents were the leading cause of deathin nearly all occupations during the five-year period.Loggers and foresters were most often struck by objects,usually trees or logs.

Table 5. Fatal events by occupation, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999

1995-1999 Transp Contact Violent Expo- Fires & OtherOccupation 1999 Number Percent accidents w/objects Falls acts sure explosions events

Managerial & professional 13 44 11.5 26 7 3 5 2 0 1Technical, sales & admin support 5 33 8.6 20 1 4 6 2 0 0Service occupations 6 23 6.0 10 2 0 8 2 1 0Farming, forestry & fishing 11 81 21.2 38 31 6 1 5 0 0

Farmers & farm workers 2 33 8.6 15 12 3 1 2 0 0Loggers & foresters 7 32 8.4 8 19 3 0 2 0 0Fishers 1 15 3.9 14 0 0 0 1 0 0

Precision prod, craft & repair 10 55 14.4 14 17 12 3 7 2 0Operators, fabricators & laborers 24 146 38.1 92 24 11 10 4 2 3Military occupation 0 1 0.3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 69 383 100.0 201 82 36 33 22 5 4

Notes: Occupations are classified according to the 1990 Census of Occupational Classification System. Due to rounding, the sum ofpercents may not equal 100.0.

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7

Table 6 shows the activities which were being performedat the time the fatal event occurred. In the five-yearperiod, 53.8 percent of the workers were engaged intransportation activities. Most of the accidents in whichworkers were struck by or caught in objects occurredwhile they were engaged in using tools or machinery (thecategory which includes logging activities), constructionor maintenance, or physical activities.

Table 7 shows the locations at which the fatal injuriesoccurred. During 1995-1999, 33.0 percent of the fatalities

occurred on streets or highways. Nearly all of these weretraffic accidents. More than 21 percent of the fatalitiesoccurred on industrial premises. The largest share of theseoccurred when workers were struck by objects or werecaught in machinery. Over 22 percent of the workerswere killed in areas coded as “other places.” Thiscategory includes forests, rivers, and the ocean, with themajor events including loggers killed by falling trees, non-highway accidents, aircraft accidents in the mountains,and drownings.

Table 7. Locations where fatal injuries occurred, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999

1995-1999 Transp Contact Violent Expo- Fires & OtherLocation 1999 Number Percent accidents w/objects Falls acts sure explosions events

Homes 2 14 3.7 1 5 2 3 2 1 0Farms 8 37 9.7 23 9 2 0 2 0 1Mine and quarry 2 8 2.1 5 2 1 0 0 0 0Industrial premises 12 82 21.5 17 31 17 5 8 3 1Recreational places 1 4 1.1 1 2 0 1 0 0 0Streets & highways 19 126 33.0 112 8 2 1 3 0 0Public buildings 3 23 6.0 2 3 5 13 0 0 0Residential institutions 0 1 0.3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0Other places 22 87 22.8 40 22 7 9 6 1 2

TOTAL 69 382 100.0 201 82 36 32 22 5 4Notes: “Other places” is a specific code which includes forests, mountains, oceans, rivers, parking lots, and public places not

otherwise classified. Most of the Oregon fatalities included in this category occurred in forests or at sea. The CFOI program alsoincludes residential institutions, which includes prisons, jails, detention homes, retirement homes, and nursing homes. Therewas only one residential institution fatality during the 95-99 period. For 1995-1999, there was one fatality where location couldnot be determined. Due to rounding, the sum of percents may not equal 100.0.

Table 6. Activities at the time of injury, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999

1995-1999 Transp Contact Violent Expo- Fires & OtherActivity 1999 Number Percent accidents w/objects Falls acts sure explosions events

Vehicular & transportation activities 35 206 53.8 190 9 2 1 3 1 0Using tools or machinery 8 43 11.2 2 32 5 1 3 0 0Constructing, repairing & cleaning 15 54 14.1 1 20 22 2 7 2 0Protective services 1 5 1.3 0 0 0 3 1 1 0Materials handling 2 12 3.1 1 8 0 0 1 1 1Physical activities 5 26 6.8 5 12 5 0 4 0 0Other activities 3 20 5.2 1 0 2 16 1 0 0Unspecified activities 0 17 4.4 1 1 0 10 2 0 3TOTAL 69 383 100.0 201 82 36 33 22 5 4

Note: “Other activities” includes tending a retail establishment, office work, health care and social services activities, animal care andtending, legal service activities, teaching, travel nec., and activity nec. Due to rounding, the sum of percents may not equal 100.0.

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Table 8. Regions in which the events occurred, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999

1995-1999 Transp Contact Violent Expo- Fires & OtherRegion 1999 Number Percent accidents w/objects Falls acts sure explosions events

Portland Metro 16 99 26.0 38 20 18 17 3 2 1

Western Oregon 42 190 49.6 101 45 12 14 16 1 1

Eastern Oregon 11 87 22.7 59 17 5 1 3 1 1

Unknown 0 7 1.8 3 0 1 1 0 1 1

TOTAL 69 383 100.0 201 82 36 33 22 5 4

Notes: Portland Metro consists of Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties. Due to rounding, the sum ofpercents may not equal 100.0.

Table 8 shows the most common type of fatalities in thethree regions of Oregon. Transportation accidents werethe most frequent type of accident in all three regions,but they made up a larger proportion of the region’saccidents in eastern Oregon (67.8 percent) than in west-ern Oregon (53.2 percent) or the Portland area (38.4percent). Accidents in the “Contact with objects”category, which occur when workers are struck byobjects or caught in machinery, accounted for 23.7percent of the deaths in western Oregon, but accountedfor only 20.2 percent in the Portland metropolitan area.Violent acts in the Portland metro area accounted for

17.2 percent of the region’s deaths. Figure 4 provides dataon fatalities by county of injury.

Table 9 lists the age of fatally injured workers at the time ofinjury. About 71 percent of the workers killed in the five-yearperiod ranged in age from 25 to 54. There are few differ-ences in the events which caused the deaths of these workers.In 1999, the youngest worker killed was an 18-year-old con-struction laborer that fell from a ladder and was impaled by awooden stake that he landed on. The oldest worker was a72-year-old funeral escort driver killed when a car drove infront of the worker’s motorcycle and the two crashed.

Table 9. Workers’ ages at the time of injury, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999

1995-1999 Transp Contact Violent Expo- Fires & OtherAge 1999 Number Percent accidents w/objects Falls acts sure explosions events

19 & under 1 7 1.8 2 0 2 2 0 1 0

20-24 8 28 7.3 12 10 2 1 2 0 1

25-34 12 79 20.6 40 19 8 11 1 0 0

35-44 14 90 23.5 47 17 7 9 9 1 0

45-54 22 102 26.6 57 20 10 7 5 2 1

55-64 7 51 13.3 27 12 3 3 4 1 1

65 & older 5 25 6.5 15 4 4 0 1 0 1

Unknown 0 1 0.3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 69 383 100.0 201 82 36 33 22 5 4

Note: Due to rounding, the sum of percents may not equal 100.0.

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9

Fatality Rates

The rates are estimates of the fatality rates per year per100,000 workers. The highest rates are in agriculture,forestry, and fishing; construction; and the transportationand public utility sectors. While these rates give anindication of the relative dangers of these industries, therecan be considerable differences in risk among theindustries within an industrial sector. For example, theestimated fatality rate in manufacturing is 6.3 per yearper 100,000 workers. In the logging industry, however,the estimated fatality rate per year is calculated, basedon 5 year data per 100,000 workers.

The computation of fatality rates has always presentedtwo problems. First, fatalities are relatively rare events,so rates calculated over short periods of time can fluctuatewidely from period to period. Second, the populationestimates are usually from a different source than thefatality figures and usually cover a somewhat differentset of workers.

Table 10 provides estimates of fatality rates of wageemployees by industry. To create rates based on a longertime period, the average of the 1995-1999 employment andfatality data are used. The data excludes self-employedworkers, unpaid family workers, domestics, and volunteers.Both full-time and part-time workers are included in theemployment data used to calculate the rates.

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10

Table 10. Fatality rates by industry, Oregon, CFOI, 1995-1999

1995-1999 avg Average deaths RateIndustry employees 1995-1999 (per 100,000)

Agriculture, forestry & fishing 72,500 7 9.7

Construction 78,500 12 15.3

Manufacturing 239,400 15 6.3

Transportation & public utilities 74,700 10 13.4

Wholesale & retail trade 374,400 8 2.1

Finance, insurance & real estate 92,700 1 1.1

Services 397,200 7 1.8

Government 250,600 5 2.0

Notes: Private sector industries are classified according to the Standard IndustrialClassification Manual, 1987 edition.

Employment data represent total payroll employment (including agriculture,forestry & fishing) from the Oregon Employment Department. Payroll employ-ment excludes self-employed, unpaid family workers, domestics, and volunteers.

Fatality figures are the average number of deaths in Oregon in 1995-1999.Fatalities of self-employed, unpaid family workers, domestics, and volunteers areexcluded from this table to be comparable to payroll employment data.

The average number of employees in the mining industry is slightly less than2,000 and is not included.

Government includes federal, state, and local employees.

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11

Appendices

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12

After conducting pilot projects in Texas and Colorado,the Bureau of Labor Statistics proceeded with the Censusof Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program in 1991.Thirty-two states and New York City collected data inthe first year, and 3,822 fatalities were recorded. Since1992, all states and the District of Columbia have collecteddata. 1999 marked the eighth year of participation by allstates, and 6,054 fatalities were recorded. Due to thelong periods of time it takes to receive some sourcedocuments, the data may be incomplete and counts willbe revised in future publications.

In-scope fatal injury. An occupational injury is anyunintentional or intentional wound or damage to the bodyresulting from acute exposure to thermal, mechanical,electrical, chemical, or other form of energy or from theabsence of such essentials as heat or oxygen caused bya specific event, incident, or series of events within asingle workday or shift. To be included in this report, theincident must have occurred in Oregon and the death musthave occurred during the period 1995 through 1999. Theevent must satisfy one of two conditions:

• The event occurred on the employer’s premises andthe person was there to work; or

• The event occurred off the employer’s premises andthe person was there to work, or the event or expo-sure was related to the person’s work or status as anemployee.

Homicides and suicides which meet the two conditionsabove are included. Deaths resulting from recreationalactivities are not included unless the activities wererequired by the employer. Deaths occurring duringcommutes to and from work are not included, but fatalitiesduring other travel for work purposes are counted.

Population of workers. People who are engaged in legalwork activities in Oregon for money, goods, services orprofit are included, with a couple of exceptions. Volunteersother than volunteer police, firefighters, and emergencymedical service personnel were excluded in 1991 and1992. From 1995 to 1999, all volunteer workers who areexposed to the same work hazards and perform the sameduties or functions as paid employees were included.Institutionalized persons who are injured on the premisesof their institutions are excluded.

In-scope fatal illness. An occupational illness is definedas a condition produced in the work environment over aperiod longer than one workday or shift. It results fromsystemic infection, repeated stress or strain, exposure totoxins, poisons or fumes, or other continuing conditions.

Fatal heart attacks and strokes are counted, if theyoccurred on or off the employer’s premises and the personwas there to work. They are considered illnesses unlesscaused by a traumatic work injury. Nearly all of the illnesscases were heart attacks or strokes. They occurredbecause of the workers’ physical condition and notbecause of their work activities, and so do not fit the usualdefinition of a work-caused illness. BLS and the statesare still testing definitions of work-related illnesses anddeveloping methods of collecting illness cases. Therefore,the illness data are not considered complete and are notincluded in this report.

Industry. The nature of an employer’s business isclassified according to the Standard IndustrialClassification (SIC) Manual, 1987 edition. The industrialgroupings used in this report are:

APPENDIX A

Definitions and Methodology

All government employees are included in the publicsector categories, regardless of the SIC of their employer.

Industry Two-digit SIC

Agriculture, forestry & fishing 01-09

Agriculture (01-07)

Forestry (08)

Fishing (09)

Mining 10-14

Construction 15-17

Special trade contractors (17)

Manufacturing 20-39

Wood products (24)

Logging (241)

Sawmills & planing mills (242)

Other wood products (243-249)

Other manufacturing (20-23, 25-39)

Transportation & public utilities 40-49

Motor freight transportation (42)

Wholesale trade 50-51

Durable goods (50)

Retail trade 52-59

Finance, insurance & real estate 60-67

Services 70-89

Business services (73)

Public administration 91-97

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APPENDIX A (cont.)

Occupation Codes

Managerial & Professional 003-199

Technical, sales & administrative support 203-389

Service occupations 403-469

Protective services (413-427)

Farmers, foresters & fishers 473-499

Farmers & farm workers (473-489)

Foresters & loggers (494-489)

Fishers (497-498)

Precision production, craft & repair 503-699

Mechanics & repairers (503-549)

Construction trades (553-599)

Operators, fabricators & laborers 703-889

Motor vehicle operators (803-814)

Material moving equip operators (843-859)

Laborers, ex farmers (864-889)

Source One-digit Group

Chemicals & chemical products 0

Containers 1

Furniture & fixtures 2

Machinery 3

Const, logging & mining machinery (32)

Material handling machinery (34)

Parts & materials 4

Building materials (41)

Machine, tool & electric parts (44)

Persons, plants, animals & minerals 5

Plants, trees & vegetation (58)

Structures & surfaces 6

Floors, walkways & ground surfaces (62)

Tools, instruments & equipment 7

Vehicles 8

Highway vehicles (82)

Industrial powered vehicles & tractors (85)

Other sources 9

Ammunition (91)

Atmospheric & environmental cond (93)

Steam, vapor and liquids (96)

Event One-digit Group

Contact with objects & equipment 0

Struck against object (01)

Struck by object (02)

Struck by falling object (021)

Struck by swinging or slipping object (023)

Caught in or compressed by equipment

or objects (03)

Caught in running machinery (031)

Caught in or crushed in collapsing materials (04)

Falls (includes jumps) 1

Bodily reaction and exertion 2

Exposure to harmful substance or environments 3

Contact with electric current (31)

Contact with temperature extremes (32)

Exposure to air pressure changes (33)

Exposure to caustic, noxious or allergenic

substances (34)

Oxygen deficiency (38)

Drowning (381)

Transportation accidents 4

Highway accidents (41)

Highway collisions (411-413)

Highway non-collisions (414)

Non-highway accidents, except rail, air

or water (42)

Worker struck by vehicle (43)

Railway accidents (44)

Water vehicle accidents (45)

Aircraft accidents (46)

Fires & explosions 5

Assaults and violent acts 6

Assaults by other persons (61)

Self-inflicted injuries (62)

Assaults by animals (63)

Other events 9

Sources. Sources are coded according to the BLSOccupational Injury and Illness ClassificationManual, issued in December of 1992.

Events. Events are coded according to the BLSOccupational Injury and Illness ClassificationManual, issued in December of 1992.

All data were prepared in cooperation with the Bureauof Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.

Occupation. The worker’s occupation is classifiedaccording to the BLS “Occupational Coding Manual,”which was derived from the 1990 Alphabetical Indexof Occupations. The occupational groups used in thisreport are:

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Table B1. Fatal injuries by industry, CFOI,national and Oregon distributions, 1999

National OregonIndustry percent percent

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 13.4 8.7

Agriculture 11.3 4.3

Mining 2.0 0.0

Construction 19.7 15.9

Manufacturing 11.9 23.2

Wood products 3.1 13.0

Transportation & public utilities 16.7 20.3

Wholesale trade 3.9 1.4

Retail trade 8.5 4.3

Finance, insurance & real estate 1.8 1.4

Services 12.2 14.5

Public sector 9.3 10.1

Unclassified 0.6 0.0

Total 100.0 100.0

Total number of fatalities 6,054 69Notes: There was insufficient information to classify the

industry of some fatally injured workers. These areincluded in the “Unclassified” category.

Industries are classified according to the StandardIndustrial Classification Manual, 1987 edition. “Publicsector” includes all public sector employees,regardless of the SIC code of their agency. Nationaldata were supplied by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Due to rounding, the sum of percents may not equal100.0.

APPENDIX B

National & Oregon CFOI Data, 1999

1999 was the eighth year that all states participated in theCFOI program. The two tables below provide nationaldata by industry and fatal event. The national data includedata from the 50 states and the District of Columbia.Nationwide, 6,054 work-related deaths were recorded in1999. This compares to 6,026 deaths recorded in 1998,and 6,218 recorded in 1997. Because of the long periodsof time between fatal events and the receipt of alldocumentation, national data may be incomplete.Revisions will be published in later publications.

Oregon differs from the rest of the nation primarily in therelative importance of Oregon’s wood products industry.

Of the fatalities recorded in Oregon during 1999, 13.0percent occurred in the wood products industry. Incontrast, only 3.1 percent of the deaths in the nationoccurred in this industry. Oregon transportation and publicutilities accounted for 20.3 percent of deaths, comparedto 16.7 percent for the nation.

Because of this difference, comparatively more accidentsin Oregon occurred as a result of contact with objectsand equipment, most often trees or logs. Oregon also hadmore transportation accidents, but a lower proportion ofdeaths resulting from workplace violence in 1999 thanthe nation as a whole.

Table B2. Fatal events, CFOI, nationaland Oregon distributions, 1999

National OregonEvent percent percent

Transportation accidents 43.2 52.2Highway accidents 24.7 17.4Non-highway accidents 5.8 8.7Aircraft accidents 3.8 17.4Workers struck by vehicles 6.2 4.3Water vehicle accidents 1.7 2.9Railway accidents 0.9 1.4

Assaults & violent acts 15.0 7.2Homicides 10.8 7.2Self-inflicted injuries 3.6 0.0

Contact with objects & equipment 17.0 26.1Struck by objects 9.7 5.8Caught in equipment or objects 5.0 14.5Caught in collapsing materials 2.1 5.8

Falls 11.9 7.2Exposure to harmful substances 8.8 7.2& environments

Electrocutions 4.6 4.3Exposure to caustic, noxious 1.8 1.4 or allergenic substancesExposure to air pressure changes 0.0 1.4Oxygen deficiency 1.5 0.0

Fires & explosions 3.6 0.0Other events 0.4 0.0Total 100.0 100.0

Notes: Events are classified according to the 1992 BLSOccupational Injury and Illness ClassificationManual. National data have been supplied by theBureau of Labor Statistics.

Due to rounding, the sum of percents may not equal100.0.

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APPENDIX C

Source Documents

The Oregon CFOI program collects source documentsfrom a variety of agencies. The Oregon Health Divisionprovides death certificates. Oregon OSHA (OR-OSHA)and the Workers’ Compensation Division (WCD), bothdivisions within the Department of Consumer & BusinessServices (DCBS), supply OSHA reports and workers’compensation forms. Death certificates are also oftenavailable from workers’ compensation files. Newspaperarticles are received from a clipping service; additionalarticles are found in newspapers kept in the Oregon StateLibrary. Motor vehicle accident reports are supplied bythe Public Utilities Commission. Also, the state and federalCFOI offices exchange information, and employers maybe sent questionnaires when the existing information isincomplete or contradictory.

In all, 380 source documents were received for the 69fatal injuries which occurred in 1999. This is an averageof 5.5 per fatality. The documents are listed in Table C1.

Table C2 shows the distribution of source documentsreceived for 1999. The CFOI offices attempt to get atleast two source documents for each fatality.

The goal of the CFOI program is to get a complete censusof fatal work-related injuries. The receipt of sourcedocuments is important in ensuring a complete count, andit is useful to consider who may be missed by this census.Workers most likely to be missed are the self-employed.Their deaths seldom create any workers’ compensationor OR-OSHA paperwork. The death of a self-employedconstruction worker or logger who dies on an industrialsite or while working with others is usually reported toOR-OSHA, but those who work alone are more likely tobe missed. The two principal groups which fit thesecharacteristics are farmers and fishermen. To learn ofthese deaths, we are dependent on newspaper articlesand death certificates.

Table C1. Source documents received,Oregon, CFOI, 1999

PercentSource document Number of cases

Death certificate 68 98.6

Newspaper 57 82.6

Medical examiners report 55 79.7

Toxicology report 44 63.8

State Workers’ compensation form 44 63.8

OSHA 36(s) report 37 53.6

Employer questionnaire 23 33.3

Other documents 19 27.5

Autopsy report 16 23.2

Motor vehicle accident report 12 17.4

OSHA 170 investigations report 5 7.2

TOTAL 380

Table C2. Distribution of sourcedocuments, Oregon, CFOI, 1999

# of documents Number PercentOne 1 1.4

Two 1 1.4

Three 4 5.8

Four 10 14.5

Five 13 18.8

Six 25 36.2

Seven 10 14.5

Eight 5 7.2

TOTAL 69

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Table D1. CFOI fatal injuries, Oregon, 1999

Event Description Occupation Age SexAgriculture, forestry, & fishingCaught in or compressed by equip or object Pinned by a falling branch Forester 38 MCaught in or compressed by equip or object Compressed inside a chemical sprayer tank Farmer 71 MContact with electric current Contact w/ 115,000 electrical transmission line Forester 45 MIndustrial vehicle accident Fell from and struck by tractor Farmer 63 MWater vehicle accident Fishing vessel capsized Fisher 21 MWater vehicle accident Fishing vessel capsized Fisher 46 MConstructionStruck by Struck by boom of crane Construction laborer 20 MCaught in or compressed by equip or object Pinned underneath fuel tank of dump truck Equipment operator 34 MCaught in or compressed by equip or object Compressed by extended scissor platform lift Drywall installer 24 MCaught in or compressed by equip or object Pinned by ladder due to ground shifting Pipelayer 27 MCaught in or crushed by collapsing material Trench cave-in, 8 feet below ground Construction laborer 26 MFall Fell 12 feet from ladder Roofer 21 MFall Fell from ladder Construction laborer 18 MFall Fell 100 feet from scaffold to silo floor Construction laborer 26 MContact with electric current Truck’s boom contacted overhead powerline Truck driver 38 MHMV accident Truck was struck by an oncoming car Supv, construction 59 MPedestrian Run over by vehicle Construction laborer 29 MManufacturingStruck by Struck by falling tree limb Logger 53 MStruck by Struck by a beam that rolled off truck Machinery repairer 26 MStruck by Struck by a cabled-bundle of trees Logger 32 MCaught in running equipment or machinery Caught in bark shredder Laborer, except construction 51 MCaught in running equipment or machinery Caught in plywood loading machine Machine feeder 54 MCaught in or compressed by equip or object Compressed between forklift and kiln cart Wood working machine oper 63 MCaught in or compressed by equip or object Pinned by two-ton scaffold Supervisor, production 53 MCaught in or crushed by collapsing material Buried by a massive mudslide Logger 48 MCaught in or crushed by collapsing material Buried by a massive mudslide Logger 60 MIndustrial vehicle accident Fell from bucket of the yarder while moving Logger 38 MIndustrial vehicle accident Truck-mounted back-hoe overturned Production manager 44 MAircraft accident Plane crashed into river Pilot 39 MAircraft accident Plane crashed at end of runway Respiratory therapist 48 MAircraft accident Plane crashed at end of runway Physician 48 MAircraft accident Plane crashed shortly after take-off Manager 67 MAircraft accident Plane crashed shortly after take-off Manager 45 MTransportation & public utilitiesFall Fell 25 feet from extension ladder Electronic repairer 48 MFall Fell 20-25 feet from ladder Electrical technician 41 MExposure to caustic, noxious, or substances Cleaning fuel tank and inhaled gasoline Supervisor, mechanic 45 MHMV accident Truck overturned while rounding a corner Truck driver 38 MHMV accident Truck swerved into a car Truck driver 47 MHMV accident Car collided head-on into a truck Taxi-cab driver 51 FHMV accident Truck collided head-on into a truck Truck driver 52 MHMV accident Truck collided head-on into a truck Truck driver 30 MHMV accident Truck collided head-on into a truck Truck driver 38 MHMV accident Log truck overturned Truck driver 52 MAircraft accident Plane plunged into trees Pilot 58 MAircraft accident Plane crash - heavy snow conditions Flight instructor 44 MRailway accident Truck struck by a train while on the tracks Truck driver 33 MAssault/violent act Homicide - stabbed by co-worker Truck driver 45 M

(cont.)

APPENDIX D

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Table D1. CFOI fatal injuries, Oregon, 1999 (cont.)

Event Description Occupation Age SexWholesalePedestrian Run over by a forklift Laborer, except construction 20 MRetailAssault/violent act Homicide - stabbed by boyfriend Food counter worker 21 FAssault/violent act Homicide - shot by assailant Bouncer 31 MAssault/violent act Homicide - shot by husband Kitchen worker 32 FFinance, Ins, & Real EstateIndustrial vehicle accident Forklift overturned Industrial vehicle operator 26 MServicesHMV accident Van drove into path of a pick-up Rehabilitation counselor 52 MHMV accident Motorcycle was struck by a car Funeral escort driver 72 MHMV accident Pick-up was crushed by two trucks in a storm Equipment mechanic 37 MNon-HMV accident Race car struck a tree Professional drag racer 50 MPedestrian Run over by a semi-truck Construction laborer 44 FAircraft Accident Plane plunged into trees Manager 20 MAircraft Accident Plane plunged into trees Manager 55 MAircraft Accident Plane plunged into trees Manager 41 MAircraft Accident Plane crashed during training flight Pilot 68 MAircraft Accident Plane crashed during training flight Pilot 70 MPublicCaught in or compressed by equip or object Compressed by back-hoe bucket Mayor 59 MCaught in or crushed by collapsing material Crushed while in a traffic tunnel cave-in Supervisor, construction 49 MContact with electric current Contact with underground power line Laborer, except construction 22 MOxygen deficiency Died while resurfacing from 40 feet of water Marine biologist 44 MHMV accident Car struck head-on by a pick-up Supvervisor, police 41 FIndustrial vehicle accident Trac-hoe overturned Operating engineer 47 MAssault/violent act Homicide - shot by assailant Park ranger 50 M

APPENDIX D