Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI)

About CFOI

The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) is a longstanding federal–state cooperative program administered by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in partnership with all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Established nationwide in 1992, CFOI represents the most comprehensive and authoritative system for tracking fatal workplace injuries in the United States. CFOI’s core strength lies in its rigorous methodology: it does not rely on a single data source. Instead, it integrates multiple independent sources, including death certificates, workers’ compensation reports, OSHA records, coroner report packages, law enforcement reports, and media accounts to identify, verify, and document each fatal occupational injury. A case is only included when it is confirmed by at least two independent sources, which significantly enhances accuracy and reduces undercounting, which has historically plagued occupational fatality data.

Through this multi-source verification process, CFOI produces a complete and reliable census, not a sample, but a complete total of all workplace fatalities that meet the program criteria. The resulting data provides detailed information on the circumstances of each fatality, including industry, occupation, event type (e.g., transportation incidents, falls, violence), and worker demographics.

In California, CFOI plays a critical role in serving the public by delivering accurate, timely, and policy-relevant statistics on workplace fatalities. These data are essential for identifying high-risk industries and populations, guiding regulatory and enforcement priorities, informing prevention strategies, and supporting evidence-based policymaking. By offering a consistent and credible measure of occupational fatalities over time, CFOI also enables trend analysis and accountability in efforts to improve worker safety.

CFOI Annual Report

The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) Annual Report and Dashboard provide complementary approaches to disseminating California’s fatal occupational injury data, ensuring both accessibility and analytical depth for a wide range of users.

The CFOI Annual Report is a comprehensive publication that presents an authoritative summary of fatal workplace injuries over the last ten years. It includes a message from the Cal/OSHA Chief, highlights key findings, including total fatalities, trends over time, and distributions by industry, occupation, event or exposure, and worker demographics. The report also provides contextual analysis to support understanding of emerging patterns and areas of elevated risk, thereby informing policy development, enforcement priorities, and prevention strategies.

CFOI Annual Dashboard

The CFOI Dashboard is an interactive data visualization tool that enables users to explore fatal occupational injury data in greater detail. Users can filter and analyze data by year, industry, occupation, event type, demographic characteristics, and sector (private, public, and all sectors). The dashboard supports both count-based and rate-based analyses, allowing for meaningful comparisons across industries and populations. Its dynamic format promotes transparency and facilitates customized analysis to meet the needs of researchers, policymakers, and the public, as all data can be downloaded off the dashboard.