Minnesota Injury Facts, 2004 Edition: Workplace Injuries, Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry reports nine fewer people died on the job in Minnesota in 2003 than in 2002. The total of 72 fatal work injuries is below the 1998-2002 five-year average (75 deaths per year).

Transportation incidents continued to be the most frequent fatal work-injury, accounting for 42 percent of the cases. "Transportation" encompasses highway crashes, workers being struck by vehicles and mobile equipment, and incidents on farms or in industrial worksites. Deaths resulting from transportation incidents dropped from 44 cases in 2002 to 30 cases in 2003. Fatalities due to assaults and violent acts increased from three cases in 2002 to nine cases in 2003.

Among industries, agriculture recorded the highest number of worker deaths—19—a decrease of three from 2002. Construction had the second-highest number of deaths, with 10 cases, a decrease of five cases from the previous year. Deaths among government workers dropped from 12 cases in 2002 to three cases in 2003. Self-employed workers accounted for 17 deaths, 16 of them workers in agriculture. Seven women were fatally injured in 2003, four fewer than in 2002. Sixty-five men died, compared to 70 in 2002.

Event or exposure causing fatal work injury, 1998-2002 average 1
Event or exposure	Total number of fatalities	Percentage of total
Total	385	100.0%
Transportation incidents	182	47.3
Highway incident	113	29.4
a) Collision between vehicles, mobile equipment	53	13.8
b) Jack-knifed or overturned—no collision	31	8.1
Nonhighway incident, except rail, air, water	25	6.5
Worker struck by vehicle, mobile equipment	21	5.5
Contact with objects and equipment	96	24.9
Struck by object	51	13.2
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	27	7.0
Caught in or crushed in collapsing materials	18	4.7
Falls	42	10.9
Fall from roof	13	3.4
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	30	7.8
Contact with electric current	16	4.2
Assaults and violent acts	19	4.9
Homicides	14	3.6
Fires and explosions	7	1.8
1. Includes private sector plus local, state and federal government (including resident armed forces). Includes self-employed and unpaid family workers, including family farm workers. Excludes fatal illnesses.

Source: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, May 2004

The University of Minnesota's Agricultural Safety and Health Program collects data from news clippings about unintentional injuries on Minnsota's farms. In 2003, there were 25 deaths (including non-work-related injuries); 23 men and 2 women. The three most common causes of death were being pinned by an object or equipment, falls and tractor rollovers.

More detail on work-related injury and illness:
Minnesota Workplace Safety Report: Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2002, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, May 2004 http://www.dli.mn.gov/RS/PDF/saferpt02.pdf
University of Minnesota Agricultural Safety and Health Program http://safety.coafes.umn.edu/fatalities/2003 fatalities.pdf

Workplace injuries, U.S.