Worker Fatalities: Work Safe. Stay Alive.
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The New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Occupational Health and Injury Prevention has two programs that address work-related fatalities: the New York State Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (NYS CFOI) and the New York Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program (NY FACE). Since occupational fatalities are preventable, these programs inform us on the need to develop effective injury prevention and identify gaps in safety standards and work practices. The data and the reports generated by these programs expose problem areas and provide specific solutions. They are used by a broad audience of labor organizations, industry partners, safety and health professionals, equipment manufacturers, employers, workers, and worker advocates, taking our data to action to prevent serious injuries and future deaths at work.
If you are an employer or employee who wishes to report a fatality or serious injury or if you learn of a workplace fatality, please contact the NYS CFOI program at 1-866-807-2130 (toll-free) in a timely manner. Please leave a detailed message with contact information and a NY fatality investigator will follow up with you.
If you are an employer who wishes to receive a free, impartial assessment of the workplace that helps identify factors that may have contributed to a worker's death or a serious injury, please contact the NYS FACE program at 1-866-807-2130 (toll-free) in a timely manner. Please leave a detailed message with contact information and a NY fatality investigator will follow up with you. NY FACE investigators may visit the work site to collect information and develop recommendations to prevent future injuries.
Information for Workers
View and share case studies and training materials to keep you safe on the job.
Hot Topics
Ladder and Roof Safety
Falls are the leading cause of worker deaths in construction. Each year in the U.S., more than 200 construction workers are killed and over 10,000 are seriously injured by falls. Learn how to prevent ladder and roof falls.
Drowsy Driving
Falling asleep at the wheel or the inability to pay adequate attention while driving may be a result of sleep-deprivation. Every year there are 100,000 reported drowsy driving crashes. Get tips to prevent drowsy driving.
Extreme Heat
Heat is on average the greatest weather-related killer in the United State. Workers may be required to work in hot environments for long periods. Learn how to prevent heat-related deaths and illness.
Investigations
NY FACE investigations identify factors and conditions that contribute to work-related fatalities. This information can be used for developing recommendations to prevent future incidents.
Case Reports
Data
Environmental Public Health Tracker
- New York State Worker Fatality Maps
- View information on a map that represents some worker fatalities across the state. Find out more about the risk factors and the prevention of worker fatalities. View information on occupational health including maps, graphs, and tables.
The CFOI program, developed in 1991 by the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, collects verifiable information on occupational fatalities. This information is used by health and safety professionals to develop strategies for prevention of both fatalities and serious injuries.
View Data
View incidence rates and case counts of New York State occupational injury, illness and fatalities from the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
New York State CFOI Reports
About CFOI and NY FACE
About CFOI
The New York State Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (NYS CFOI) program is a multi-record system that captures all work-related traumatic injury deaths in NYS, excluding New York City (NYC). NYC has its own CFOI program. CFOI is a national reporting program, collecting data since 1992, and is funded by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It is the most complete and accurate count of fatal work injuries, including deaths from exposure to extreme temperatures, overdose deaths, homicides, and suicides. A detailed record of each NYS fatality is compiled and used to inform the nature and causes, vulnerable populations, and high-risk occupations and industries.
About NY FACE
The New York Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (NY FACE) provides a detailed understanding of how fatal occupational injuries occur by identifying how workplace procedures, equipment, training, and other factors contribute to the event. NY FACE is a research program, started in 1982 and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). By studying and investigating priority fatalities, identifying hazards, and developing workplace injury prevention recommendations, NY FACE promotes effective deterrence at the workplace level. A variety of outreach materials and reports are created that develop effective strategies to implement to prevent future tragedies in the future. NYFACE also develops materials and tools for worker training and education.
- NY FACE is a NYS Department of Health workplace health and safety program. Its purpose is to study work-related fatal injuries in New York State to determine how the injury occurred.
- NY FACE is about prevention. It provides educational materials to raise awareness among employers and workers of commonly occurring hazards and injury prevention practices.
- NY FACE is not an enforcement program and participation is voluntary.
- NY FACE is not interested in “who to blame” but rather in “what went wrong” and how a similar death can be prevented in the future.
- NY FACE does not use the names of the deceased, co-workers, employers, or incident site owners in its publications.
Contact
New York State Department of HealthBureau of Occupational Health and Injury Prevention
Empire State Plaza-Corning Tower, Room 1336
Albany, New York 12237
Toll-free Phone: 1-866-807-2130
Fax: (518) 402-4760
E-mail: boh@health.ny.gov
We appreciate your cooperation and assistance in improving worker safety. Thank you for making the NY FACE program a success.
NY FACE is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Resources
View all of our worker safety publications that are available for order.
- NYS Occupational Health Programs - Includes workplace resources and programs available from NYS Department of Health.
- NYS Violent Death Reporting System - Includes information on the national and New York State Violent Death Reporting System.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration - OSHA improves workplace safety by developing and enforcing occupational safety and health standards and provides compliance assistance.
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - As part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIOSH is responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related disease and injury.
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health FACE Homepage - Includes the history of the FACE program, a full description of the program, contact information, and the full text of hundreds of fatality investigation reports.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics - Includes information and data from the Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities program.
- Mine Safety and Health Administration - MSHA helps to improve mine safety through development and enforcement of safety and health rules. Covered under MSHA are large underground coal mines and processing plants as well as two-person sand and gravel pits.
- CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training - Includes construction safety and health research and training materials developed by CPWR.
- National Safety Council - National organization dedicated to improving safety, health and environmental well-being. Includes library resources for safety and health information.
- National Work Zone Safety Information - Includes information concerning the safe and effective operation of traffic work zones.
- New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health - Provides farm safety and health resources and services as well as agricultural statistics. It is also the Northeast Center for Agriculture and Occupational Health.
- North American Guidelines for Children's Agricultural Tasks - Developed under the direction of the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety to assist adults in assigning farm jobs to children 7 to 16 years, living or working on farms.
- State-Based Occupational Health Surveillance Clearinghouse - This clearinghouse, developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, provides access to State-based occupational health surveillance and related reports.
