Workplace Fatalities Tie Record Low

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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIn its annual preliminary Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries report, the Indiana Department of Labor says the number of workplace deaths in 2015 tied the state’s lowest total since the report was established in 1992. The department says 115 worker deaths were reported last year, the same as in 2012.
The number one cause of worker fatalities in 2015 was vehicle crashes. The report says 48 percent of occupational fatalities were transportation-related.
"Employers have focused on safety in recent years, and we are starting to see that reflected in our injury and illness numbers," said IDOL Commissioner Rick Ruble. "2015 tied the records for the lowest nonfatal injury and illness rates and the lowest fatal injury rates. This is a testament to the hard work of Hoosier employers, employees, trade groups, labor unions and the Indiana Department of Labor. However, 115 families still lost a loved one and we must continue our efforts to make Indiana a safe place to work."
However, the report says most major Hoosier industries experienced a reduction in workplace fatalities in 2015. The construction industry saw a 39 percent decrease in workplace deaths while the agriculture, forestry fishing and hunting industry saw a 18 percent decrease. The state’s manufacturing industry reported 12 workplace fatalities in 2015, up from 10 the previous year.
The state’s nonfatal occupational injury and illness rate also tied a record low last year. The IDOL reported last month an estimated 3.8 injuries or illness per 100 full-time workers, which matched the record low set in 2013.
You can view an analysis of the 2015 CFOI report below: