Construction Fatalities 2001: Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Fatal work injury counts, 1992-2001

SOURCE: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2000

Fatal work injury counts in the private construction industry, 1992-2001


Numbers and rates of fatal occupational injuries by industry division, 2001

NOTE: Data exclude fatalities resulting from September 11 terrorist attacks.
SOURCE: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2001.
Rate = (Fatal work injuries/Employment) x 100,000 workers. Employment data extracted from the 2001 Current Population Survey (CPS). The fatality rates were calculated using employment as the denominator; employment-based rates measure the risk for those employed during a given period of time, regardless of exposure hours.

Occupations in the private construction industry with the highest number of fatalities, 2001



*Selected occupations had a minimum of 40 fatalities and 45,000 employed workers in 2001..
NOTE: Data exclude fatalities resulting from September 11 terrorist attacks.
SOURCE: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2001

Distribution of fatalities in the construction industry and to all workers by event, 2001



Distribution of falls to lower level by detailed event, 2001



Fatalities in the private construction industry by location, 2001



Fatalities to construction workers and all workers by age, 2001

Fatalities to construction workers and all workers by race or ethnicity, 2001



Construction Laborers

• High number of fatalities - 349 in 2001
• Fatality rate was 34 per 100,000 workers in 2001
• Leading events - transportation incidents (33%), and falls (26%)
• Hispanic construction laborer fatalities have more than doubled since the Census began in 1992 from 50 to 120 in 2001

Carpenters

• 112 fatalities in 2001
• Fatality rate in 2001 was 8 per 100,000 workers
• Leading event - falls (63%)
• 30% of fatalities are to Hispanic workers

Roofers

• 78 fatalities in 2001
• Fatality rate in 2001 was 36 per 100,000 workers
• Leading events - falls (73%)
• 28% of fatalities to roofers were to Hispanic workers

Electricians

• 109 fatalities in 2001
• Fatality rate in 2001 was 13 per 100,000 workers
• Leading event - electrocutions (51%)

Structural metal workers

• Highest fatality rate of occupations in construction industry with 58 fatalities per 100,000 workers
• Relatively small number of fatalities with 45 in 2001
• Leading event - falls (89%)

For More Information:

• Access the BLS Internet site: http://www.bls.gov/iif/home.htm
• Send e-mail to:

cfoistaff@bls.gov for fatalities
oshstaff@bls.gov for non-fatal