KDHE Home - News 2000 - News Release

Kansas
Department of Health & Environment
Bill Graves, Governor
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary

November 13, 2000

Contact: Sharon Watson, 785-296-5795

1999 Total Work-Related Fatalities Were Lowest Since 1991 in Kansas

Newly released figures from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) show there were 81 work-related deaths in Kansas during 1999. This represents the lowest total for the state since the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program began collecting data in 1991.

Some notable features the CFOI program evaluates are industry, occupation, event or exposure and other worker characteristics. The following are leading items from several of the categories.

• The most hazardous industry during the year was agriculture, forestry and fishing with 21 deaths. That represents a slight decrease for the industry group from the 23 deaths in 1998.

• Operators, fabricators and laborers represented the occupation group with the most fatalities in 1999 accounting for 33 deaths, or 41 percent of the total.
• Transportation accidents, across all industries, occurred most frequently representing 49 percent of the work-related deaths (40 deaths) in 1999. That was 4 percent lower than the transportation percentage for 1998.
• Other facts about the work-related deaths in 1999 are that only three women were killed in work accidents during the year; the race of victims showed 88 percent white and 9 percent black; Hispanic origin was identified in 6 percent of the deaths; wage and salary workers made up 69 percent and self employed the remaining 31 percent of these deaths.

Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Office of Health Care Information, 900 SW Jackson, Rm. 1002 N, Topeka, KS, 66612, e-mail rhazelto@kdheks.gov or call (785) 296-1058.

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