What would you guess are among the most dangerous jobs in Maryland? Construction? Roofing? Electrical work? You’d be right on all those counts, but some of the top causes of fatal occupational injuries in Maryland may come as somewhat of a surprise. According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), of the 59 people who lost their lives due to work-related accidents in Maryland in 2008…
> Transportation accidents (which include air, rail, highway transportation including freight trucking accidents, nonhighway transportation, and being struck and killed by a vehicle, e.g., construction site worker pedestrian accidents) accounted for 17 deaths;
> 9 fatalities resulted from Assaults and Violent Acts (including self-inflicted injury);
> 12 were victims of Falls;
> 10 died due to Contact with Objects or Equipment;
> and another 10 perished due to Exposure to Harmful Substances.
Maryland Occupational Injury Death Rates Decline
The good news from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is fatal occupational injuries are down across the United States, including significant reductions in Maryland (59 work related deaths occurred in 2008, compared to 82 deaths in 2007 and 105 deaths in 2006).
Total U.S. workplace deaths in 2008 amounted to 5,071 — down from 5,657 in 2007. Deaths from falls — a major hazard for construction workers — were down, as were fatal transportation accidents. Workplace homicides declined, but sadly, workplace suicides went up in 2008. The BLS reports all these numbers are preliminary, and final figures will be made available in April 2010.
As Maryland Work Injury Lawyers, we have seen all these types of work-related injuries and fatalities. Many families are unaware that they may be entitled to Maryland Workers’ Compensation benefits even after their family member has died. That is why it is so important to contact an experienced Md workers’ compensation attorney to find out what benefits you may be entitled to — before accepting an offer from the employer or speaking to their attorney or insurance company representative.
NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES IN 2008
United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Aug. 20, 2009
Maryland Division of Labor and Industry
Fatal occupational injuries by industry and event or exposure, Maryland, 2006 (XLS doc)
Related Web Resources
Maryland Division of Labor and Industry Research and Statistics Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH)
Bureau of Labor Statistics, State Occupational Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities