Catastrophic Injury Informaion for Massachusetts an Overview

1. Fatal Occupational Injuries in Massachusetts

1.1 Overview
· A total of 633 workers suffered fatal injuries at work from 1991 through 1999, an average of 70 fatalities a year, more than one worker death each week (1.3 fatalities per week).

· The average annual occupational fatality rate for the nine-year period was 2.3 fatalities per 100,000 civilian workers.

· The average age  at death was 42.4 years. These fatalities resulted in an average 33 years of potential life lost for each death (number of years before the victim reached age 75) and for a total of 20,724 years of potential life lost over the nine-year period.

· The number of work-related fatalities and fatality rates in Massachusetts fluctuated over time. Except for 1998, the annual number of fatalities ranged between 62 and 86 and the annual fatality rate between 2.0 and 3.0 fatalities per 100,000 workers. The lowest number of fatalities was observed in 1998 and the highest in 1993.

1.2 Gender
· The great majority (589 workers, 93%) of workers who died due to work-related injuries were men. Female workers accounted for the remaining 44 fatalities (7%).

·The fatal occupational injury rates for male workers were much higher than the rates for female workers for all the years under consideration. The average annual fatal occupational injury rate for the nine-year study period for men was 4.1 fatalities per 100,000 workers, more than thirteen times the rate for women (0.3 per 100,000). These findings are consistent with findings at the national level. 

· The difference in fatality rates for men and women is likely in large part due to the fact that more men are employed in high-risk occupations. For example, in 1999, proportionately more men (18%) than women (3%) were employed in two occupation groups with high fatality rates: Farming, Forestry & Fishing occupations and Operators, Fabricators and Laborers. Conversely, 75% of female workers compared to 52% of male workers were employed in two occupation groups with low fatality rates: Managerial & Professional Specialty occupations and Technical, Sales and Administrative Support occupations.

· Fatal events varied by gender. Highway transportation incidents (16 fatalities, 36%) and homicide (12 fatalities, 27%) were the two leading events for female workers, accounting for 63% of all female fatalities. In contrast, fall to a lower level was the leading event among men (114 fatalities, 20%) followed by homicide (70 fatalities, 12%), and highway transportation incidents
(68 fatalities, 12%).

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