Fatal Work Injuries to Hispanics Increase 9 Percent

This resulted from a rise in Hispanic worker fatalities in the services and agriculture industries, rather than in construction, as in prior years.

Fatalities to white (non-Hispanic) workers fell for the sixth year in a row; fatalities among black (non-Hispanic) workers fell for the second year in a row. Fatal work injuries to men were down slightly, although fatalities to women increased by 5 percent over 2000. The number of occupational fatalities to workers aged 17 years and younger decreased to 53 in 2001 from 73 in 2000. In 2001 fatalities to the self-employed were down by 5 percent to their lowest level recorded since 1992.

On average, about 16 workers were fatally injured each day during 2001. The total number of multiple fatality incidents (incidents that resulted in two or more worker deaths) decreased from 214 in 2000 to 197 in 2001. However, the total number of job-related deaths in multiple fatality incidents increased from 531 in 2000 to 563 in 2001 (excluding September 11th).