Occupational fatality
Encyclopedia
An occupational fatality is a death that occurs while a person is at work or performing work related tasks. Occupational fatalities are also commonly called “occupational deaths” or “work-related deaths/fatalities” and can occur in any industry
or occupation
.
In general, occupational fatalities have steadily decreased in number since 1994. Still, in 2007, 5,488 people died in work-related incidents in the United States
. That amounts to an average of 15 deaths every day.
s and suicide
s. Occupational fatalities can be prevented.
41% of occupational fatalities occurred during a transportation incident, 17% occurred after a worker came into contact with an object or equipment, and 15% occurred as a result of a fall. The remaining 12% of deaths were the result of chemical or environmental exposures (9%) and fires or explosions (3%). Lastly, 15% of all occupational fatalities are the consequences of assault
and other violent acts in the workplace
.
Although all workers are at risk for occupational fatalities, elderly workers age 65 and older are roughly three times more likely to die at work. Hispanic
workers die on the job at a higher rate than non-Hispanic workers. Men account for 92% of occupational deaths; however, women are more likely to be victims of homicide (27% of homicide victims are female) than die of any other cause at work.
The majority of occupational deaths occur among men. In one U.S. study, 93% of deaths on the job involved men, with a death rate approximately 11 times higher than women. The industries with the highest death rates are mining, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and construction, all of which employ more men than women.
In order to perform adequate risk assessment of injuries that occur in the workplace, health and safety professionals use resources such as the Haddon Matrix
. This model assesses the risks leading up to, during, and after a death in order to prevent future incidents of a similar nature. Employers and employees can learn how to identify risk factors in their work environment in order to avoid incidents that may result in death.
(OSHA). Formed in 1970 as an agency of the United States Department of Labor
under the Occupational Safety and Health Act
, OSHA exists to prevent occupational injuries and deaths by creating and enforcing standards in the workplace. OSHA standards address employee training programs, safety equipment, employer record keeping and proper maintenance of the work environment. Failure to comply with the OSHA standards can result in workplace inspections and legal action including citations and fines. In very severe cases of employer misconduct, OSHA can “red flag” an operation and send the employer to legal court.
To regulate the millions of workplaces in the United States, OSHA requires that all employers maintain a record of occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities. Occupational fatalities must be reported to OSHA within eight hours of the incident. Failure to do so can result in legal action against the employer. Employers are responsible for staying current on OSHA standards and enforcing them in their own workplace. State OSHA organizations exist in twenty-eight states and are required to have the same or more rigorous standards than the federal OSHA standards. In these states, employers must abide by their state’s regulations. It is not the responsibility of the employee to stay current on the OSHA standards.
In addition to OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) was formed under the Occupational Safety and Health Act as a federal research agency to formulate industry recommendations for health and safety. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) in the United States Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS). NIOSH analyzes workplace injury and illness data from all fifty states as well as provides support for state-based projects in occupational health and safety.
Under NIOSH, the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE)
Program tracks and investigates occupational fatalities in order to provide recommendations for prevention. A voluntary program for individual states created in 1989, FACE is active in California
, Iowa
, Kentucky
, Massachusetts
, Michigan
, New Jersey
, New York
, Oregon
, and Washington. The primary responsibilities of the state FACE programs are to track occupational fatalities in their state, investigate select fatalities, and provide recommendations for prevention. As part of the prevention efforts, FACE programs also produce extensive prevention education materials that are disseminated to employees, employers, unions
, and state organizations.
Nationally, the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), within the U.S. Department of Labor, compiles national fatality statistics. CFOI is the key, comprehensive system in the surveillance of occupational fatalities in the United States.
Many other non-governmental organizations also work to prevent occupational fatalities. Trade associations
and unions play an active role in protecting workers and disseminating prevention information. The National Safety Council also works to prevent occupational fatalities as well as provide resources to employers and employees.
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
or occupation
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
.
In general, occupational fatalities have steadily decreased in number since 1994. Still, in 2007, 5,488 people died in work-related incidents in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. That amounts to an average of 15 deaths every day.
Common causes
Common causes of occupational fatalities include falls, machine-related incidents, motor vehicle accidents, electrocution, falling objects, homicideHomicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
s and suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
s. Occupational fatalities can be prevented.
41% of occupational fatalities occurred during a transportation incident, 17% occurred after a worker came into contact with an object or equipment, and 15% occurred as a result of a fall. The remaining 12% of deaths were the result of chemical or environmental exposures (9%) and fires or explosions (3%). Lastly, 15% of all occupational fatalities are the consequences of assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and other violent acts in the workplace
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
.
Risk factors
Many factors contribute to a fatal incident at work. Lack of appropriate employee training and failure to provide and enforce the use of safety equipment are frequent contributors to occupational fatalities. In some cases, employees do receive safety training, but language barriers prevent the employee from fully understanding the safety procedures. Incidents can also be the result of insufficient supervision of inexperienced employees or employees who have taken on a responsibility for which they are not properly trained. Poor worksite organization, staffing and scheduling issues, unworkable policies and practices and workplace culture can all play a role in occupational fatalities. In any case, the incident leading to an occupational fatality is generally not the fault of a single person, but the tragic result of a combination of many human and environmental factors.Although all workers are at risk for occupational fatalities, elderly workers age 65 and older are roughly three times more likely to die at work. Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
workers die on the job at a higher rate than non-Hispanic workers. Men account for 92% of occupational deaths; however, women are more likely to be victims of homicide (27% of homicide victims are female) than die of any other cause at work.
The majority of occupational deaths occur among men. In one U.S. study, 93% of deaths on the job involved men, with a death rate approximately 11 times higher than women. The industries with the highest death rates are mining, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and construction, all of which employ more men than women.
Prevention
Occupational fatalities are preventable. Prevention of occupational fatalities depends on the understanding that worker safety is not only the responsibility of the worker, but is the primary responsibility of the employer. Employers must train all employees in the appropriate safety procedures and maintain a safe working environment so that fatalities are less likely to occur. An occupational fatality is not just the fault of the deceased worker; instead, it is the combination of unsafe work environments, insufficient safety training, and negligible employee supervision that contribute fatal incidents. As a result, it is imperative that an employer address all the potential [risk] factors at the workplace and educate all employees in safe work practices and risk awareness.In order to perform adequate risk assessment of injuries that occur in the workplace, health and safety professionals use resources such as the Haddon Matrix
Haddon Matrix
The Haddon Matrix is the most commonly used paradigm in the injury prevention field.Developed by William Haddon in 1970, the matrix looks at factors related to personal attributes, vector or agent attributes, and environmental attributes before, during and after an injury or death...
. This model assesses the risks leading up to, during, and after a death in order to prevent future incidents of a similar nature. Employers and employees can learn how to identify risk factors in their work environment in order to avoid incidents that may result in death.
Research, regulation, reporting and recommendations
The regulatory organization for occupational injury control and prevention is the Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationOccupational Safety and Health Administration
The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M. Nixon, on December 29, 1970...
(OSHA). Formed in 1970 as an agency of the United States Department of Labor
United States Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
under the Occupational Safety and Health Act
Occupational Safety and Health Act
The Occupational Safety and Health Act is the primary federal law which governs occupational health and safety in the private sector and federal government in the United States. It was enacted by Congress in 1970 and was signed by President Richard Nixon on December 29, 1970...
, OSHA exists to prevent occupational injuries and deaths by creating and enforcing standards in the workplace. OSHA standards address employee training programs, safety equipment, employer record keeping and proper maintenance of the work environment. Failure to comply with the OSHA standards can result in workplace inspections and legal action including citations and fines. In very severe cases of employer misconduct, OSHA can “red flag” an operation and send the employer to legal court.
To regulate the millions of workplaces in the United States, OSHA requires that all employers maintain a record of occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities. Occupational fatalities must be reported to OSHA within eight hours of the incident. Failure to do so can result in legal action against the employer. Employers are responsible for staying current on OSHA standards and enforcing them in their own workplace. State OSHA organizations exist in twenty-eight states and are required to have the same or more rigorous standards than the federal OSHA standards. In these states, employers must abide by their state’s regulations. It is not the responsibility of the employee to stay current on the OSHA standards.
In addition to OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is the United States’ federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S...
(NIOSH) was formed under the Occupational Safety and Health Act as a federal research agency to formulate industry recommendations for health and safety. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
(CDC) in the United States Department of Health and Human Services
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
(DHHS). NIOSH analyzes workplace injury and illness data from all fifty states as well as provides support for state-based projects in occupational health and safety.
Under NIOSH, the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE)
Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE)
The Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program's goal is the prevention of occupational fatality. Program elements include:Tracking all work-related acute trauma fatalities.Conducting investigations of a select number of these incidents...
Program tracks and investigates occupational fatalities in order to provide recommendations for prevention. A voluntary program for individual states created in 1989, FACE is active in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and Washington. The primary responsibilities of the state FACE programs are to track occupational fatalities in their state, investigate select fatalities, and provide recommendations for prevention. As part of the prevention efforts, FACE programs also produce extensive prevention education materials that are disseminated to employees, employers, unions
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, and state organizations.
Nationally, the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), within the U.S. Department of Labor, compiles national fatality statistics. CFOI is the key, comprehensive system in the surveillance of occupational fatalities in the United States.
Many other non-governmental organizations also work to prevent occupational fatalities. Trade associations
Industry trade group
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
and unions play an active role in protecting workers and disseminating prevention information. The National Safety Council also works to prevent occupational fatalities as well as provide resources to employers and employees.
External links
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - http://www.osha.gov/
- National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/
- Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/default.html
- Washington State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (WA FACE) Program - http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/FACE/default.asp
- Census of Fatal Occupational Injury (CFOI) - http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.toc.htm
- National Safety Council – http://www.nsc.org/
- British Health and Safety Executive – http://www.hse.gov.uk/index/htm
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety – http://www.ccohs.ca
- Australian Safety and Compensation Council – http://www.ascc.gov.au/
- AFL-CIO – http://www.aflcio.org
- World Health Organization Occupational Health Programmes - http://www.who.int/topics/occupational_health/en/
- International Labour Organization - http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm
- Californial Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program (CA FACE) - http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/ohb-face/Pages/default.aspx