Workplace Fatalities in West Virginia on the Rise
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' preliminary report on workplace fatalities in West Virginia, (final report scheduled to be released end of spring 2015), 60 people lost their lives due to fatal work injuries in 2013. This tentatively puts the number of workplace fatalities in West Virginia above the previous year, when 49 people tragically lost their lives while on the job or during the course of work-related tasks. This would make 2013 the third consecutive year in which workplace fatalities rose.
West Virginia's Annual Workplace Fatality Statistics
In total, 585 people sustained fatal occupational injuries in West Virginia between 2004 and 2013. During this time, the year with the highest number of workplace fatalities was 2010, with 2009 having the lowest number of fatalities in the workplace at 41.
In 2013, the primary causes of the 60 workplace fatalities are as follows:
- Transportation incidents: 24 (this figure is expected to be higher in the final report)
- Contact with objects or equipment: 15
- Fires and explosions: 7
- Violence and other injuries by persons or animals: 6
- Falls, slips or trips: 5
- Exposure to harmful substances or environments: 3
Transportation incidents was the most common workplace event resulting in fatal injury in West Virginia, and the leading cause of workplace deaths in the nation.Approximately 40 percent of all 2013 fatal workplace injuries in West Virginia and the United States occurred as a result of a transportation incident.
Contact with falling objects or equipment was higher in West Virginia, 25 percent, than the overall U.S. average of 16 percent. West Virginia also experienced a higher than normal rate of workplace fatalities as a result of fire and explosion, 12 percent with the U.S. average of 3 percent. Much of this difference can be attributed to West Virginia's natural resources and mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries. Fatal workplace injuries resulting from violence or other injuries by persons or animals, as well as all other (falls, slips, trips and exposure to harmful substances or environments) were lower in West Virginia, 10 percent and 13 percent respectively, as compared to the national averages of 17 percent and 24 percent.
Legal Representation for Workplace Injuries
If you have sustained a workplace injury, or someone you love has lost his or her life in a work-related accident, it is advised you seek legal representation at once. The attorneys at Mani Ellis & Layne PLLC are dedicated advocates for the victims of work-related accidents. We are committed to doing all we can to help workers protect their legal rights. Whether your injuries were sustained on the job or during the performance of a work-related task, we are here to help. Call our office now to find out what we can do for you.
Sources:
- S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics: Workplace Fatalities in West Virginia - 2013