The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division received notification of 45 compensable fatalities in 2008. This is up 10 from the 35 compensable fatal claims in 2007.

Compensable Fatality Facts,
Oregon, 2008

  • The average age of fatally injured workers in 2008 was 42. The oldest worker was a 62-year-old tow truck driver who fell from his truck-trailer; the youngest was a 19-year-old firefighter in a helicopter crash.
  • All of the fatally injured workers were males
    in 2008.
  • Three of the fatally injured workers in 2008 were reported as Hispanic (7%); two of them were born in Mexico. One victim was a Native American (2%). In eight of the fatalities, the ethnicity was unknown (18%).
  • There were no compensable fatalities in 2008 due to occupational illnesses.
  • The compensable fatality count can be affected by tragic accidents that kill multiple victims simultaneously. During 2008, there were two incidents with multiple victims, accounting for 10 of the 45 fatalities.
  • Of the 45 compensable fatalities, 30 of them occurred in Oregon (67%). Fifteen fatalities occurred outside of Oregon (nine in California, four in Idaho, and two in Washington).

Fatality/claims data
Visit the DCBS Web site at http://dcbs.oregon.gov. Select the “Statistical Reports” link for additional workers’ compensation claims data and other statistical reports, or call the Information Management Division at 503-378-8254.

Census of fatal occupational injuries
National work-related fatality data can be found on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Web site at: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm

Fatality assessment and control evaluation
Information about Oregon Health Sciences University's Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program (FACE) can be found at: http://www.ohsu.edu/croet/face/

Employer workers' compensation coverage
For additional information about employer coverage requirements, you may contact the Workers' Compensation Division Employer Compliance Program at wcd.employerinfo@state.or.us, call 888-877-5670, or find it on the Internet at: http://www.cbs.state.or.us/external/wcd/index.html

Classification systems
Data are classified according to the following classification systems:

Click here to see the printable version of this brochure.


DCBS Public Home Page | IMD Home Page

If you have questions about the information contained in this document, please contact by e-mail or phone: Karen Howard, 503-947-7364,
Research Analyst, Research & Analysis Section, Information Management Division

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all IMD publications are available in alternative formats by calling 503-378-8254. The information in IMD publications is in the public domain and may be reprinted without permission.

This document was originally published in September 2009
[Printed form 440-0947 (9/09/COM)]