Leading Cause of Occupational Fatalities

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Leading Causes of Occupational Fatalities Charles Heim EH-2000 Discussion Board #10 Ohio University Southern Campus Abstract The purpose of this paper is to identify and explain what has been, in recent years, the leading cause of fatal occupational injuries. The paper will examine the top three causes of fatal occupational injuries, and will categorize which five industry sectors tend to have the highest rates of fatal injuries as of 2011. Leading Causes of Occupational Fatalities Since 1992, occupational fatalities have been slowly decreasing, in large part, due to more stringent safety regulations. From over 6,000 annually recorded occupational fatalities in the 1990’s, decreasing 20 – 25% through the first decade of the 21st century, to less than 5,000 recorded occupational fatalities since 2009 (BLS[1], 2013). A preliminary total, 4,609 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2011, down from a final count of 4,690 fatal work injuries in 2010, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS[1], 2013). The rate of fatal work injury for U.S. workers in 2011 was 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, as compared to a final rate of 3.6 per 100,000 for 2010. Transportation incidents continue to be the leading cause of occupational fatalities, accounting for more than 2 out of every 5 fatal work injuries. These incidents include highway, non-highway, air, water, and rail occupational injuries (BLS[2], 2013). Of the 1,898 transportation fatalities documented in 2011, 57 percent (1,075 cases) were roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles. Almost 16 percent of fatal transportation incidents involve pedestrians who are struck by vehicles. Of the 312 fatal work injuries in 2011 involving

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