Good news tends to come with at least a bit of bad news on the side. That’s true in regards to statistics of workplace safety in the U.S.
According to the Labor Department, fewer workers died in workplace accidents in 2012 than in 2011. Fewer work-related fatalities overall doesn’t mean that there aren’t persistent safety concerns among safety officials. Certain lines of work stand out because of their higher rates of deadly work injuries.
Compared to 2011, fatal injury rates increased last year in the oil and gas and construction industries. Efforts are planned that will increase workers’ and employers’ education about workplace safety in the hope that fewer accidents will be reported for 2013.
Safety groups are also highly concerned about the transportation and wireless industries. Transportation accidents make up a significant percentage of the fatal work injuries overall; therefore, targeting the causes of such deadly incidents would make for many saved lives.
There are also the men and women out there whose workplace injuries don’t kill them but still severely impact their lives. When something like a fall at a construction site, a fire at a refinery or an accident on the road leaves a worker unable to work, he or she might have legal options to receive financial support.
Being injured or sick can be scary for someone who is used to earning a paycheck and supporting a family. A Social Security disability claims lawyer can listen to a worker’s story and evaluate whether he thinks someone might be eligible to receive benefits during a difficult time.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, “Workplace Fatalities Fell 7% in 2012, Report Shows,” Melanie Trottman, Aug. 22, 2013