Posted on: Monday, September 22, 2003

Big drop noted in workplace deaths

By Justin Pritchard
Associated Press

Working got safer last year, according to the government's annual tally of workplace deaths.

Nationally, 5,524 workers died on the job in 2002 — a significant decrease from the 5,915 who died in 2001, a number that did not include those killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

That decline extended a downward trend since 1997, when 6,238 workers died. Workplace homicides also declined, down to 609 last year from a 1994 peak of 1,080.

The numbers declined even among Hispanics, who are more likely to work in riskier farm, factory and construction jobs. Even so, Hispanic workers died at a higher rate than whites or blacks.

The numbers were compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Federal officials track rates so they can compare various sectors of the workforce. The industries with the highest death rates included farming, mining and trucking.

Overall death rates fell from 4.3 per 100,000 workers in 2001 to 4 workers last year.