News Notes: State Workplace Fatality Rate Continues To Fall

The number of California workers killed on the job in 2000 was the lowest since 1992, when the state first published such data. Preliminary figures from the California Department of Industrial Relations show there were 553 deaths in 2000, down from 644 a decade ago. Over 41% of the total deaths resulted from transportation accidents, and assaults and other violent acts accounted for about 20% of the fatalities. Business services, including auto repair and garage operations, was the industry sector reporting the most deaths. The complete report is available at the DSLR website.