Kansas Workplace Fatalities reported for 2017

Kansas had 72 fatal work-related injuries in 2017, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). The CFOI program is a national census conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in partnership with the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL), Division of Labor Market Information Services.

Transportation incidents in Kansas accounted for 58.3 of the percent fatal work-related injuries in 2017 with 42 fatalities. Of the 42 transportation-related fatal injuries, 25 fatalities or 59.5 percent were roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles. Non-roadway incidents, such as a tractor overturned in a farm field, accounted for another 10 fatalities or 23.8 percent of the transportation-related fatal injuries.

Within the goods producing industry group, the natural resources and mining sector had the most fatal work-related injuries for 2017 with 25 fatalities, or 34.7 percent of the state’s total fatal work-related injuries. This industry includes the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector.

Within the service providing industry group, the trade, transportation and utilities sector had the most fatal work-related injuries in 2017 with 17 fatalities, or 23.6 percent of the state’s total fatal work-related injuries. This industry group includes wholesale and retail trade as well as transportation and warehousing.

Men accounted for 70 or 97.2 percent of the fatal work-related injuries that occurred in 2017.

White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 50 of the 72 fatal work-related injuries in 2017.

In 2017, workers aged 55-64 accounted for 18 of the fatal work-related injuries followed by 13 fatalities in the workers aged 25-34 years category.

In 2017, 49 fatal work-related injuries occurred in the wage and salary workers category while 23 fatalities were self-employed workers.

The CFOI program collects data from multiple sources for every fatal work-related injury recorded. Each case must have two or more substantiating documents. These source documents include death certificates, workers compensation reports, motor vehicle accident reports, OSHA reports, news accounts, coroner’s reports, obituaries, employer questionnaires, and other federal and state records. Each fatality is counted in the state where the incident occurs regardless of the state of employment. This ensures there is no duplication of reporting by the states.

For more information regarding this survey, please visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website at http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm. Additionally, charts and tables for Kansas may be viewed on the Kansas Department of Labor website at http://klic.dol.ks.gov/gsipub/index.asp?docid=755.