Oregon workplace deaths rose in 2016, new data shows

There were 72 fatal workplace injures in Oregon in 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.

Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Richard Holden noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Oregon was higher than the 44 fatalities in the previous year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 88 in 1992 to a low of 43 in 2012.

Nationwide, a total of 5,190 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2016, a 7-percent increase from the 4,836 fatal injuries in 2015, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. This was the third consecutive increase in annual workplace fatalities and the first time more than 5,000 fatalities have been recorded since 2008.

In Oregon, transportation incidents resulted in 30 fatal work injuries and contact with objects and equipment accounted for 17 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 65 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents rose by eight over the year, while work-related fatalities from contact with objects and equipment increased by nine.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2016, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries.Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second-most common fatal event (17 percent), followed by falls, slips, or trips (16 percent).

The private agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industry sector had the highest number of fatalities in Oregon with 27, compared to 12 in the previous year. Transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal event in the sector with 11 worker deaths. Eleven of those fatally injured in this sector worked in logging.

The private transportation and warehousing sector had 12 workplace fatalities in 2016. Specialized freight trucking accounted for eight fatalities in this industry.

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 22. Ten of these fatalities were logging workers.

Additional highlights: Men accounted for 88 percent of the work-related fatalities in Oregon, compared to the 93-percent national share. Transportation incidents made up 40 percent of the fatalities for men in Oregon. White non-Hispanics accounted for 78 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 67 percent of work-related deaths. Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 54 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2016, equal to the national rate, compared to 57 percent nationwide. Of the 72 fatally-injured workers in Oregon, 81 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers was transportation incidents.