| Abstract |
Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation conducts surveillance, investigation, and assessment of traumatic occupational fatalities in Oregon, and engages in outreach and education to prevent traumatic occupational fatalities and promote occupational safety. The Oregon Fatality Assessment program significantly expanded previous occupational fatality surveillance, investigation, and prevention activities in Oregon by including workers not covered by existing workers' compensation and occupational safety and health programs, and incorporating risk analysis and outreach to promote safety among workers and employers. During the initial 4 year funding period, 2003-2006, OR-FACE recorded 278 traumatic occupational fatalities in 250 incidents - an average of 70 fatalities in 62 incidents per year. The count is similar but not identical to the total for the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, differing by 1-2 incidents each year due to different inclusion criteria; and about double the count from Workers' Compensation incidents in Oregon, which counts only covered employees. Investigation files including death certificates, EMS and medical examiner reports, law enforcement and OSHA investigations, news articles, and other information sources were assembled for each fatality. Clear priority areas emerged in the 4 years of the program: (1) motor vehicles, both in transportation incidents and as 'parked vehicles,' (2) logging, particularly working as a tree faller, (3) mobile machinery of various types, and (4) fall hazards, particularly in construction. There was sufficient investigation of each incident to prepare an abstract for each incident that identified key risk factors. |
