Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Spring 5-21-2024
Abstract
Every occupational fatality is a tragedy for the person, family, fellow employees, and the employer. Efforts for preventing these deaths involve a multi-faceted approach, one of which is tracking the cases in order to increase understanding of the circumstances involved in the fatal incident. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains an extensive collection of data on occupational fatalities and publishes the information in multi-page spreadsheets. When properly used, fatality data can be useful for setting research priorities and documenting the importance of particular fatality-related subject matter. For justifying research on prevention, the most useful data involves cause-relevant information proximal to the fatal incident, often referred to as upstream information. In the Bureau of Labor Statistics record systems, upstream information is in the Event and Exposure category. Occupational fatality records on 5,486 workers who died in 2022 provided the corpus for analysis. This article illustrates how visual formats can complement spreadsheet formats to support understanding, reduce errors, and discourage misuses.
Recommended Citation
Jensen, Roger C., "Occupational Fatality Surveillance Data: Communication Issues, Misunderstandings, and Misuses" (2024). Safety Health & Industrial Hygiene. 51.
https://digitalcommons.mtech.edu/shih/51