On-the-Job Fatalities Declined in California in 1994; Homicides No Longer
Leading Cause
The number of Californians who died on-thejob declined during 1994, with
workplace homicides also declining and no longer representing the leading
cause, Director Lloyd W. Aubry, Jr. announced.
Last year, 601 workers were killed on the job in California, an 8.5 percent
decline from the 657 fatalities recorded in 1993. 1994's workplace fatalities
occurred largely in the private sector, which accounted for 532 fatalities,
or 88.5 percent. The remaining 69 fatalities occurred in the public sector.
The most significant news in the 1994 figures is the decrease in fatalities
from assaults and violent acts. In 1993, a series of shocking and attention-grabbing
events focused attention on the problem of workplace security. The 1993
Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries reflected the phenomenon of workplace
violence, as assaults and violent acts represented the leading cause of
workplace fatalities in California for the first time. In 1994, assaults
and violent acts accounted for the second leading cause.
"The decline in workplace fatalities is undeniable good news,"
Aubry said. "But we can be even more encouraged by the decline in workplace
homicides. There are several possible reasons for the decline, such as increased
attention leading employers to take threats seriously and enhanced security
precautions. While we sometimes can be tempted to allow sensational events
to lead us to believe that violent incidents are still growing, the real
data prove the opposite trend."
The Division of Labor Statistics and Research's annual Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries is compiled in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor's
Bureau of Labor Statistics. It identifies incidents involving workplace
fatalities from several sources, including CaVOSHA and federal OSHA reports,
law enforcement information, workers' compensation claims, coroner's reports,
and even news reports. The census identifies, verifies, and profiles workplace
fatalities involving all employees in the private sector, self-employed
individuals, and civilian and military government employees.
Transportation accidents represented the leading cause of workplace fatalities
in 1994. Of the 601 fatalities recorded, 222 deaths, or 36.9 percent, were
related to transportation accidents, which include highway accidents, pedestrians
struck by vehicles or equipment, and accidents involving aircraft, boats,
or railways.
Assaults and violent acts accounted for the second-leading cause of workplace
fatalities, accounting for 185, or 30.8 percent, of workplace fatalities.
In 1993, assaults and violent acts in the workplace killed 245 workers,
or 37.3 percent of workers killed on the job. The 185 deaths from assaults
and violent acts in California consisted of 156 homicides, 25 incidents
of fatal self-inflicted injury, and four assaults by animals.
Other causes of workplace fatalities included falls, 71 or 11.8 percent;
contact with objects and equipment (struck by falling object, caught in
equipment or collapsing structure or materials), 62 or 10.3 percent; exposure
to harmful substances or environments (electrocution, noxious substances,
drowning), 44 or 7.3 percent; and fires and explosions, 14 or 2.3 percent.
Three other fatalities were identified and included in the total, but sufficient
information is not yet available to classify the precise circumstances.
Among the private industry sector, more fatalities occurred in the services
industry, which experienced 103 fatalities, or 17.1 percent of the total.
The totals by other industry groups were retail trade, 96 or 16 percent;
transportation and public utilities, 90 or 15 percent; agriculture, forestry,
and fishing, 75 or 12.5 percent; construction, 68 or 11.3 percent; manufacturing,
56 or 9.3 percent; wholesale trade, 20 or 3.3 percent; finance, insurance,
and real estate, 11 or 1.8 percent; and mining, 8 or 1.3 percent.
Among occupational groups, operators, fabricators, and laborers had the
greatest number of fatalities, with 152, or 25.3 percent. Technical, sales,
and administrative support, followed with 112 or 18.6 percent. Other occupational
groups were precision production, craft, and repair, 87 fatalities or 14.5
percent; managerial and professional specialty occupations, 75 or 12.5 percent;
farrning, forestry, and fishing occupations, 76 or 12.6 percent; service
occupations, 71 or 11.8 percent; and military occupations, 23 or 3.8 percent.
Copies of the 1994 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries are available by
writing to the Division of Labor Statistics and Research, P.O. Box 420603,
San Francisco, California 94142-0603 or by calling (415) 703-3451.
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