The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) in cooperation with BLS. DWC recently releases total fatal injury counts and descriptive data annually to provide information that helps employers, safety professionals, and policymakers identify occupational safety and health issues. Below are the findings of their 2018 report.
Key Findings
There were 488 fatal occupational injuries in Texas in 2018, a 9 percent decrease from 534 in 2017. The incident rate of fatal occupational injuries in Texas was 3.8 per 100,000 full-time employees in 2018. Nationally, there were 5,250 fatal occupational injuries for an incident rate of 3.5.
Industries
The industry with the highest number of fatal work injuries was trade, transportation, and utilities with 168 incidents, which accounted for 34 percent of all incidents. This was an increase from 2017 in both total number of incidents (148) and percent of total incidents (28 percent). The industry with the second highest number of fatal work injuries was construction with 107 incidents, which accounted for 22 percent of all incidents. This was a decrease in total number of incidents from 2017 (133) and a decrease in percent of total incidents (25 percent). (Chart 1)
Occupations
The occupation with the highest number of fatal work injuries was driver/sales workers and truck drivers with 123 incidents, which accounted for 25 percent of all incidents. This was an increase from 2017 in both total number of incidents (116) and percent of total incidents (22 percent). Construction laborers had 17 incidents, which accounted for 4 percent of all incidents. This was a decrease in both total number of incidents from 2017 (43) and percent of incidents (8 percent). (Chart 2)
Case Characteristics
The event or exposure with the highest number of fatal work injuries was transportation incidents with 223 incidents, which accounted for 46 percent of all incidents. This was a decrease from 2017 in total number of incidents (234) but an increase in percent of total incidents (44 percent). Falls, slips, and trips, and violence and other injuries by persons or animals were tied with 71 incidents and accounted for 15 percent each of all incidents. For falls, slips, and trips this was a decrease in both the total number of incidents from 2017 (93) and in percent of total incidents (17 percent). For violence and other injuries by persons or animals this was a small decrease in both the total number of incidents from 2017 (73) and in percent of total incidents (14 percent). (Chart 3)
You can read the full report on the TDI website or you can download your own copy along with other helpful health and safety documents by becoming a member today!
Visit our members page to learn more.