Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog
Our Boston workers’ compensation attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers have been closely examining the details of the summary provided by Bureau of Labor Statistics on the 2010 Census of Workplace Fatalities. Fatal injuries at work in 2010 occurred at a rate of 3.5 per 100,000 full-time (or equivalent to full-time) workers. On average, 12 workers lose their life every day at American job sites.
Despite being in the midst of an economic recovery where job openings and availability are few and far between, work fatalities are reportedly high. In a preliminary report, last year only recorded 4 less fatalities on the job than in 2009. The most fatal occupational injuries in Massachusetts were related to falls, transportation incidents and homicidal incidents at work.
One thing is certain, no matter who you are or where you work, employees are at risk of serious injury or even a workplace fatality if certain safety precautions are compromised. Workers’ compensation lawyers hope that if you are injured at work, that you will go get medical attention, keep documentation of the injury, and seek the help of a legal profession if injuries persist and legal action needs to be taken.
Who is most at risk? White worker fatalities increased by 2 percent in 2010 where African-American and Latino occupational fatalities decreased. The biggest percent change came from the non-Hispanic black or African-American ethnicity which reported a 9-percent decrease in 2010 from the final recorded total of 2009. This is the second consecutive year for this ethnic group to show a decrease and an overall decrease of 37 percent has been documented since 2007. Latino and Hispanic workers showed a 4 percent decrease in reported deaths at 682, the lowest total for this ethnic group since 1997.
Male fatal work injuries decreased in 2010 compared to an increase for women. The number of females fatally injured at work rose 6 percent; this number boosted due to the fact that female homicides caused by assaults or violent acts at work rose 13 percent. Most age groups reported the same amount or less of occupational fatalities with the exception of the three groups, under age 18, 25 to 34 year olds and 55 year olds all reported a higher number of work fatalities.
Wage and salary workers reported a 2-percent rise in work fatalities congruent with the increased number of hours worked in 2010 when compared to 2009. Self-employed workers reported 2 percent less hours worked than in 2009 and a 6 percent decline in workplace deaths from 2009 to 2010. Additionally, self-employed workers reported the lowest total of deaths on the job since 1992.
The Top 5 occupations in 2010 that recorded five times higher injury rates compared to the average when taking into account fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers were:
- Fisherman (or any job related to fishing): 116
- Loggers (any worker in the logging industry): 91.9
- Pilots or flight engineers: 70.6
- Farm employees or ranchers: 41.4
- Mining machine employees: 38.7
The Top 5 industry sectors reporting the most fatal occupational injuries for 2010 are:
- Construction: 780 deaths, 17.2 percent of total work fatalities.
- Warehousing and Transportation: 657 deaths, 14.4 percent of total work deaths.
- Forestry, Agriculture, Hunting and Fishing: 600 deaths, 13.2 percent of total work fatalities.
- Business and Professional Services: 373 deaths, 8 percent of total occupational fatalities.
- Manufacturing: 324 deaths, 7.1 percent of total fatalities reported at work.
If you or a loved one is faced with an injury at work or an occupational death in the family, contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers to help you file a claim or to have the intricacies of your case explained to you. Call (617) 777-7777 for a free no-obligation appointment.
More Blog Entries:
OSHA Strives to Protect Whistleblowers to Decrease Work Accidents in Massachusetts and Elsewhere, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Blog, August 10, 2011.