Minnesota Injury Facts, 2005 Edition: The Workplace

Workplace injuries and illnesses continued to decline in Minnesota's workplaces during 2004. Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) figures show the state's injury and illness rate decreased by 3.6 percent in 2004, following an 8.3 percent decrease in 2003.

Transportation incidents continued to be the most frequent fatal work-injury, accounting for 36 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 to 29 in 2004 from 30 cases in 2003, and 44 cases in 2002. Fatalities due to assaults and violent acts continued to increase to 11 cases in 2004, up from nine cases in 2003 and three cases in 2002.

Among industries, agriculture again recorded the highest number of worker deaths (18). Construction had the second highest number of deaths with 16 cases. Deaths among government workers accounted for nine deaths. Seventeen self-employed workers died. Divided by gender, 73 men died and 7 women died.

Event or exposure causing fatal work injury, 2004
Event or exposure	Total number of fatalities	Percentage of total
Total	80	100.0%
Transportation incidents	29	36.2
Highway incident	14	17.5
a) Collision between vehicles, mobile equipment	7	8.7
b) Jack-knifed or overturned—no collision	5	6.2
Nonhighway incident, except rail, air, water	6	7.5
Pedestrian struck by vehicle, mobile equipment	4	5
Contact with objects and equipment	18	22.5
Struck by object	7	8.7
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	6	7.5
Caught in or crushed in collapsing materials	5	6.25
Falls	11	13.7
Fall to lower level	11	13.7
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	6	7.5
Contact with electric current	3	3.7
Assaults and violent acts	11	13.7
Shooting	6	7.5
Assaults by animals	3	3.7
Fires and explosions	5	6.2

Source: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, May 2006

More detail on work-related injury and illness:
Minnesota Workplace Safety Report: Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2003, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, September 2005. http://www.dli.mn.gov/RS/PDF/saferpt03.pdf
University of Minnesota Agricultural Safety and Health Program http://safety.coafes.umn.edu/fatalities.html

Workplace injuries, U.S.