Over the past several years, the number of workplace fatalities in California has been on a steady decline, and 2004 was no exception. The Division of Labor Statistics and Research has released data showing that last year, 416 of California’s 17,552,000 workers were fatally injured on the job, down from 456 out of 16,283,000 workers in 2003.
According to the new data, transportation incidents (such as highway accidents) are the top cause of workplace deaths, accounting for 40 percent of such fatalities. Assaults and violent acts accounted for 12 percent of fatalities, followed by accidents involving contact with equipment or objects (17 percent), falls from ladders or roofs (16 percent), exposure to harmful substances or environments, including electrocution (8 percent), and fires and explosions (2 percent). The figures also show that 94 percent of the workers killed on the job were men.
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Additional Resource:
Division of Labor Statistics and Research 2004 Fatal Occupational Injuries