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For Immediate Release

January 12, 2022

CONTACT: Cameron S. Ruppe
Director, Utah Occupational Safety and Health Division
Office: (801) 530-6898
Email: cruppe@utah.gov

Fatal Work Injuries In Utah Decreased During 2020

Salt Lake City – The Utah Labor Commission’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health Bureau of Labor Statistics (UOSH BLS), in conjunction with the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), has released the 2020 fatal occupational injury data for Utah. The information was obtained through the annual Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) administered by UOSH BLS.

The CFOI produces comprehensive, accurate and timely counts of fatal work injuries. To compile counts that are as complete as possible, the census uses multiple sources to identify, verify, and profile fatal worker injuries. Information about each workplace fatal injury—occupation and other worker characteristics, equipment involved, and circumstances of the event—is obtained by cross-referencing the source records, such as death certificates, workers’ compensation reports, and Federal and State agency administrative reports. The scope of CFOI incidents includes accidents, homicides and suicides that occur at the workplace. For additional details regarding CFOI criteria, please visit https://www.bls.gov/iif/cfoiscope.htm

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2020 RESULTS

The number of work-related deaths in Utah decreased from 51 in 2019 to 48 in 2020. The overall fatal injury rate for every 100,000 workers was 3.5 in 2019 and 3.4 in 2020. The reported national overall fatal injury rate for 2020 was 3.4.

The published fatal injury rates and counts by industry for 2020 are as follows:

Industry Fatal Injury(rate)
Construction 14.1
Manufacturing 4.0

 

Industry Fatal Injury(count)
Construction 17
Transportation and warehousing 8
Manufacturing 6
Retail trade 3
Leisure and hospitality 3
Financial activities 1
Educational services 1
Other* 9

Specific details of work-related fatalities by event or exposure are identified below, with falls, slips, and trips incidents accounting for approximately 33.3% of all fatalities in Utah.

Event or Exposure Work-Related Fatalities (count)
Falls, slips, trips 16
Transportation incidents 9
Exposure to harmful substances or environments 8
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals 7
Contact with objects and equipment 7
Fires and explosions 1

Fatalities by Worker Characteristic

Worker Characteristic Work-Related Fatalities (count)
Vehicular and transportation operations 13
Constructing, repairing, cleaning 12
Material handling operations 7
Physical activities, not elsewhere classified (n.e.c.) 3
Using or operating tools, machinery 1
Other* 12

Utah Fatalities by Event 2016-2020

Events 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
TOTAL COUNTS 44 43 49 51 48
Transportation 20 18 22 13 9
Contact with objects or equipment 10 10 7 4 7
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals 10 7 6 8 7
Falls, slips, trips 4 3 6 17 16
Exposure to harmful substances or environments 0 5 6 6 8
Fires and explosions 0 0 2 3 1

Fatalities by Event in Industries

  • Falls, slips, trips
    • 16 fatalities:
      • Falls to lower level (15)
      • Other* (1)
  • Transportation incidents
    • 9 fatalities:
      • Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles (6)
      • Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles (1)
        • Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway
      • Other* (2)
  • Contact with objects and equipment
    • 7 fatalities:
      • Struck by object or equipment (4)
        • Struck by powered vehicle-nontransport
      • Other* (3)
  • Fires and explosions
    • 1 fatality:
      • Explosion
        • Explosion of pressure vessel, piping, or tire

Fatalities by Worker Characteristic

  • Gender
    • 44 Men
    • 4 Women
  • Race or ethnic origin
    • 37 White (non-Hispanic)
    • 11 Other*

*Other includes data that may not be available for specific categories

For more information regarding national fatality statistics, visit the Federal BLS website at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm. For Utah specific fatality data, please refer to the accompanying tables and charts. There are additional tables and charts available upon request. For additional information or to request a copy of the report from UOSH, BLS, please contact:

Darin Hanson                                   Mechell Alder
(801) 530-6926                                (801) 530-6823
darinhanson@utah.gov                  mechellalder@utah.gov