• General Safety

  2019 figures show the worst year for fatalities in the workplace in the USA

  Posted by Nigel on 31 December 2020 at 4:21 pm

  2019 was unfortunately a record-setting year with fatal work injuries the highest they’ve been in more than a decade, and several other measures were at all-time highs, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

  The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), part of the BLS, tracks all fatal work injuries in the United States using a variety of state federal and independent data sources for a complete and accurate count as possible.

  CFOI reviewed more than 25,100 unique source documents in compiling the 2019 data.

  Some of the facts are below:

  5,333 fatalities were recorded in 2019 and this is the highest since 2007, meaning 1 person died every 99 minutes, a very poor record to set.

  1 in 5 of the fatalities (1005) were employed as a truck driver or driver/sales person.

  Workers over the age of 55 accounted for 38% of the accidents, (2005) and increase of 8% compared to the previous years and the highest on record.

  1 in 5 of the fatalities (1088) were Hispanic or Latino, a 13% increase on the previous year.

  Fishing and hunting workers recorded the highest rate of fatalities with 145 people killed.

  Logging was the next highest occupation with 69 workers killed whilst at work.

  Most worrying is the 3rd highest, pilots and flight engineers with 62 deaths at work.

  Texas (608) and California (451) were the states with the highest rate of fatalities, perhaps given the higher percentages of Latino and Hispanic workers, followed by Florida with 306 deaths.

  Transportation deaths rose to a new record of 2, 122 cases.

  642 died as a result of exposure to harmful substances and chemicals, the highest rate ever recorded.

  Slips Trips and Falls fatalities increased 11% to 880.

  5,333 families are grieving for loved ones killed whilst trying to support themselves and their families, how many more have to die before employers and employees wake up to the fact, when they kiss their loved ones in the morning it might be the last time unless they change the way they work.

  

  Nigel replied 3 years, 10 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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