MMWR:Fatal Occupational Injuries-United States, 2005

The April 6, 2007 MMWR, reports on fatal occupational injuries in the United States. The data for this report was drawn from the annual Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries(CFOI) which is collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The study found that in 2005, US workers died from an injury while at work at a rate of 4.0 per 100,000 workers. The majority of fatalities resulted from transportation incidents (43%) and falls (18%). Males accounted for 93% of all deaths and had a work-related fatalitity rate approximately 12 times the rate of females (6.9 per 100,000 vs 0.6). Workers aged 35-54 years accounted for 46% of workplace deaths. Rates increased with age, from 2.3 per 100,000 workers for those aged 16-19 years to 11.3 per 100,000 for workers aged 65+.

The study urges for more traffic safety measures such as increased promotion of safety belt usage, prevention of impaired driving, and safer highway work zones.

To read the full report, click here.