The preliminary version of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) 2010 National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) shows slightly improved numbers for workplace fatalities last year. Although the final version will not be released until the spring of 2012 after all statistics have been provided by participating governmental agencies, these initial numbers show a total of 4,547 fatal work injuries in the U.S. in 2010, slightly less than the final count of 4,551 in 2009.

This reported decrease comes despite a slight uptick in total hours worked during 2010, in contrast to the declines in work hours recorded in both 2008 and 2009. Specifically, total hours worked for wage and salary workers increased slightly in 2010, but fell by nearly 2 percent for the self-employed. A similar trend was seen in workplace fatalities for these two groups: The number of fatal injuries among wage and salary workers increased by 2 percent in 2010; the number of fatal work injuries among the self-employed declined by 6 percent to 999 fatalities, more than the decline in their hours worked and the lowest annual total since the fatality census was first conducted in 1992.

In its media release, the agency noted other key preliminary findings:

• Fatal work injuries in the private mining industry rose from 99 in 2009 to 172 in 2010, an increase of 74 percent. The fatal work injury rate for mining increased from 12.4 per 100,000 full-time equivalents in 2009 to 19.9 per 100,000 in 2010. The multiple-fatality incidents at the Upper Big Branch Mine and the Deepwater Horizon oil rig are included in these figures.
• Fatal work injuries in the private construction sector declined by 10 percent from 2009 to 2010 and are down nearly 40 percent since 2006.
• Work-related fatalities resulting from fires more than doubled from 53 in 2009 to 109 in 2010, the highest count since 2003.
• Workplace homicides declined 7 percent in 2010 to the lowest total ever recorded by the fatality census.
• The number of fatal workplace injuries among police officers increased by 40 percent, from 96 in 2009 to 134 in 2010.
• Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia reported higher numbers of fatal work injuries in 2010 than in 2009, while 23 states reported lower numbers.

In its profile of worker characteristics, the agency revealed that while total workplace homicides were down in 2010, workplace homicides involving women increased by 13 percent; fatalities among non-Hispanic white workers rose by 2 percent.