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Number of workplace fatalities in 2010 sees slight decrease

On Behalf of | Sep 2, 2011 | Wrongful Death

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is preparing to finalize a new version of a yearly report. The report, called the National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, looks at workplace injuries that resulted in fatalities each year and determines if occupations in the country are becoming more or less safe. By analyzing this report, individuals in Ohio can gain a better understanding of the large number of workplace injuries that lead to wrongful deaths.

According to preliminary information from the 2010 report, the number of fatal workplace injuries has decreased minimally. In 2009, there were 4,551 work-related fatalities. In 2010, four fewer happened, bringing the total to 4,547. The report says that economic factors are affecting the data heavily. In 2008 and 2009, fewer hours were worked by employees within the country. In 2010, the number of hours worked was up, but some of the higher-risk jobs were still experiencing lulls in their hours worked.

Some information from the preliminary report was quite specific. For instance, private construction workers experienced ten percent fewer fatal occupational injuries in 2010 than in 2009. This same statistic is down almost 40 percent since 2006. Police occupational fatalities, on the other hand, saw a 40 percent jump from 2009 to 2010. Fatal workplace injuries caused by a fire increased by more than 100 percent, skyrocketing from 53 in 2009 to 109 in 2010. With these statistics, some may wonder why more wrongful death in the workplace suits have not been filed. If an employer has violated any sort of safety code during the time of a loved one’s death, they might be held accountable.

Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics, “BLS Reports Little Change in Workplace Fatalities for 2010,” Aug. 26, 2011