New Statistics Released: 106 Die Daily Due to Workplace Injury

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has finally finished crunching the numbers from 2013, and it was another grueling year. Workplace injuries in Charleston and throughout South Carolina took the lives of 75 people. Throughout the country, a staggering 4,585 people were killed on the job, and an estimated 50,000 more perished due to occupational illness. That works out to about 106 deaths per day, caused by unsafe work environments. Fewer Accidents Across the Board, But Increases in Many Professions Overall, fatal accidents were down this year, with 3.3 deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, as opposed to 3.4 in the previous reporting year. This was also the second-lowest year for work-related fatalities on record, though a few dangerous jobs saw an increase in deaths. For instance, 828 private construction employees died, which was a 3% increase over the prior year. Sadly, this was also the second-highest year for construction fatalities since 2009. At the same time, contractors accounted for 16% of fatalities, with 749 deaths in total. Not surprisingly, farming, fishing, and forestry occupations ranked among the most deadly jobs, just as they have historically, with 23.2 fatalities per 100,000 FTE workers. Certain Demographics Tend to Have More Incidents Employees age 65 and older had a fatality rate of 9.2 per 100,000 FTE workers, followed by those between the ages 55 and 64, at 4.1. For comparison, the group with the lowest rate was those age 20-24, at 2.2. Race and ethnic origin seems to play a role as well. Latinos and Hispanics had the highest fatality rate, coming in at 3.9 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, compared to those of Asian descent, who had the lowest rates of death at 1.6. Three-Million People are Injured or Become Ill Many people choose not to report workplace injuries for various reasons, so BLS's statistics are undeniably low, because they only track actual reported incidents. Even still, more than three-million reports of on-the-job non-fatal injuries or illnesses came in during 2013 as well. This breaks down to 3.3 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers. Of those, approximately 2.9-million were injuries. More than three-quarters of those occurred in service industries, and nearly one-fourth in goods-producing industries. South Carolina reported a rate of 2.9 illnesses or injuries per 100 FTE workers, which was lower than the national rate of 3.3.

Charleston Workplace Injury Attorney

Of course, all the statistics in the world mean absolutely nothing if you're unlucky enough to have been hurt on the job. They're certainly of no use at all if you have lost a loved one simply for being responsible and holding a job as well. The somber reality is that when these incidents happen, they leave families unable to cover the cost of living, pay for medical expenses, and often to continue earning meaningful income. If you've been hurt on-the-job, or lost a family member to a work incident, you may be entitled to reparations. We understand the nuances of workers' compensation, and can help get you the settlement you deserve. Moreover, if other parties are at fault, we can help you hold them accountable, too. For a free case review, please contact us at 1(800)610-2546 and speak with one of our lawyers directly.