Workplace Deaths Rise

Work is getting more dangerous in the US. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, there were 5,250 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2018, a 2 percent increase from the 5,147 in 2017. 

Fatal occupational injuries decrease slightly

There were a total of 5,147 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2017, down slightly from the 5,190 fatal injuries reported in 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.  The fatal injury rate decreased to 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers from 3.6 in 2016.

BLS Press Release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.nr0.htm

US BLS Reports: Deaths on the Job Soar

There were a total of 5,190 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2016, a 7-percent increase from the 4,836 fatal injuries reported in 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

Bio-Tech Worker Awarded $1.37 Million in Suit Against Pfizer

A former bio-technical scientist of Pfizer was awarded $1.37 Million dollars as a result of being infected by an experimental virus in the company's laboratories. After a 3 week trial, the award was entered in what is  considered to be the first successful employee claims in the biotech and nanotech industry.

While the intentional tort claim was dismissed by the Judge  and injured worker proceeded under the theory that the company, Pfizer, violated whistleblower laws. The plaintiff also alleged that The Occupational Safety and Health Administration failed to thoroughly investigate the matter and take action.

Click here for  a detailed analysis of the case "Prescription for Bioterrorism by Steve Zeltzer.


Click here to read more about nanotechnology and workers compensation.

Novel Approach-Eliminate the Need to Go To Court

Scotland is working on a way to speed up compensation benefits in wrongful death compensation cases. Bill Butler, Minister from Glasgow has proposed that in admitted cases the parties should not have to appear in court.Joe O'Neill, of the Clydebank Asbestos Group, said: "This is welcome news for the people we represent.

"Too often protracted legal proceedings place undue strain on families and I would urge all MSPs to get behind these proposals and ensure that justice can be accessed as quickly as possible."

Speeding up the process is something that Nebraska does already also through the elimination of court appearances. Nebraska allows resolution of lump sum dispositions by merely filing a release.

To read more about fatal cases and the quest for benefits click here.

The Cost of Work Related Deaths

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has transposed the gloomy statistics of the fatalities of work related accident into a grim economic figure of a "societal cost" of $43 Billion. The data reviewed was from 1992 through 2001 and consisted of 51,864 fatalities. Costs were expressed in 2001 dollars.

"The burden that fatal occupational injury imposes upon society is severe and multidimensional. In addition to the human costs associated with the loss of a family member, an employee, and a coworker, there are costs that are economic in nature. No single metric can capture all the dimensions of loss, either personal or economic; it is extraordinarily difficult to measure the contribution of a family member or that of an active member of a community or group. To understand the dimensions of loss more fully, it is necessary to measure the aspects of fatal occupational injury that can be captured. Demographic data on fatal workplace injury was captured in the National Traumatic Occupational Fatality Surveillance system, maintained by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

"The current document is an attempt to build upon the surveillance data by adding an economic component; the data in this monograph provide a measure of the economic loss to society from the premature deaths of workers in various economic sectors, by states, to society as a whole, over time, by cause of death, and by demographic characteristics. The findings are compelling: over the period studied, 1992–2001, the estimated costs from these premature deaths exceeded $43 billion. "

Click here to read more about fatalities and workers compensation.

Fatal Injuries Decline to The Lowest Level in 36 Years

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has announced that that number of fatal on the job injuries has dramatically declined dramatically. It is now at the lowest level in any year since it began reporting statistics in 1992.

National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries 2005

A total of 5,702 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2005, down

about 1 percent from the revised total of 5,764 fatal work injuries recorded in 2004. The rate at

which fatal work injuries occurred in 2005 was 4.0 per 100,000 workers, down slightly from a

rate of 4.1 per 100,000 in 2004.

The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries has been conducted each year since 1992. The

numbers reported in this release are preliminary and will be updated in April 2007.

Press Release: Aug 10, 2007 - National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2005
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf

Additional Information:
Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2005

Text version of entire news release