Fatal Work Injuries: BLS CFOI Explained

The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) is one of the most methodologically rigorous labor statistics produced by BLS. Unlike the nonfatal injury survey (SOII), which samples employers, CFOI uses a complete count approach — every fatal work injury must be identified and counted.

How CFOI Works

CFOI coordinates data from multiple source documents: death certificates, workers' compensation records, OSHA 301 forms, medical examiner records, news reports, and other administrative data. A fatal injury is included in CFOI only when it appears in at least two independent source documents, reducing misclassification.

What Counts as a Fatal Work Injury

CFOI counts all fatal traumatic occupational injuries — meaning acute events that cause death. It does not count occupational diseases (like cancer from chemical exposure), which are harder to attribute to a specific job and are tracked through other systems. Transportation incidents are the leading cause of fatal work injuries, followed by falls, struck-by events, and assaults.

Most Dangerous Occupations

On a rate basis (fatalities per 100,000 workers), logging workers top every year. Fishing workers, aircraft pilots, roofers, refuse and recyclable material collectors, and structural iron and steel workers consistently appear in the top ten. These are occupations with high exposure to falls, transportation accidents, and remote work conditions.

Explore fatality data linked to industry profiles at our injuries section.