More Men Die In Kansas Job-Related Accidents

Census reports Kansas workplace fatalities increased in 2006 - a majority of which were men.

Topeka, KS  (CompNewsNetwork) - Kansas announces findings of work place fatalities reports by the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.   (Information for 2006 is the latest information available.)
   
Men accounted for 93 percent of work-related fatalities in Kansas in 2006. And the number of deaths is going up. In 2006, Kansas had 85 workplace fatalities – 79 of which were men. In 2005, there were 81 fatalities.

This information and other details about workplace fatalities were reported by the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program, a national census program conducted in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and state agencies. The CFOI program provides detailed information on all fatal workplace injuries.

The data collected by the CFOI program is used by safety and health policy analysts and researchers to help prevent fatal work injuries. The data is helpful in informing workers of life threatening hazards associated with various jobs. It's also used in promoting safer work practices through safety training and improving workplace safety standards.

“Work should never be a cause of death. I can't help but stress the importance of a safe work environment,” said Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) Secretary Jim Garner. “We have programs in place to help achieve safer workplaces in Kansas. I urge employers to take advantage of our free safety consultations.”

KDOL provides a variety of services for Kansas employers to help them prevent injuries and illnesses in the workplace. Notably, KDOL offers free workplace safety consultations. These confidential consultations include:

• meeting with an employer one-on-one
• a walk-through safety evaluation
• a written report with findings and suggested solutions
• a follow-up visit to ensure any serious hazards were corrected and to give additional suggestions for improvement

Using KDOL's free consultation program, employers can find out about potential hazards at their worksites, improve safety and health management practices, and qualify for exemptions from routine Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections.

Other findings of the CFOI program for 2006 in Kansas include:

•   Men accounted for 79 of the 85 work-related fatalities
•   Over half of all work-related deaths were due to transportation incidents
•   White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 77 of the 85 fatalities
•   Fatal workplace injuries occurred most frequently on Monday and Friday
•   Peak times of the day for fatal injuries were between 11a.m.-12p.m. and 1-2 p.m.
•   Workers 35 to 44 years of age accounted for 20 percent of fatalities. Workers 45 to 54 years of age accounted for 21 percent of fatalities. Workers 65 and older accounted for 22 percent of fatalities.
•   The wage and salary workers category accounted for 68 of the 85 fatalities while the remaining 17 fatalities were self-employed.
 
The CFOI program collects data from multiple sources for every workplace fatality recorded. To ensure that fatalities are work-related, cases are verified with two or more independent source documents, or a source document and a follow-up questionnaire. Each fatality is counted in the state where the incident occurs regardless of the state of employment to ensure there is no duplication of reporting by the states.

For more information regarding this program, please visit www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm or call KDOL Labor Market Information Services at (785) 296-1640. Charts and tables for Kansas may be viewed on the KDOL Web site at www.dol.ks.gov/lmis/kss/cfoi/cfoi.ht ml .

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