title: How rare are large, multiple-fatality work-related incidents?
abstract: Despite their salience, the prevalence of incidents that result in many work-related deaths is not well-documented. This study estimated probabilities of observing large scale work-related fatal incidents using 1995-2010 records from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. A range of model estimates suggest approximately a one-in-four annual chance of observing an incident resulting in 20 or more work-related fatalities. The most likely contributors are aircraft incidents, and fires and explosions. The probability that a large scale incident occurs has declined in recent years due to a general decline in the number of fatal incidents, and due to a compositional shift away from those types of incidents more likely to result in large scale outcomes.
authors: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington DC, United States. Electronic address: pierce.brooks@bls.gov.
authors: Brooks
authors: B
authors: Pierce
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000401:mortality*; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000401:mortality*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace
keywords: Census of fatal occupational injuries; Multiple-fatality incident; Size distribution of fatal incidents; Work-related fatality