The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for setting and enforcing workplace safety standards in millions of workplaces throughout the United States. OSHA is therefore responsible for the safety of 130 million workers, as well as for collecting data on workplace deaths, injuries, and accidents in order to measure whether safety regulations and enforcement are working.
In 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 4,585 workers lost their lives in workplace accidents nationwide. In other words, about 88 people per week or 12 people per day were killed on the job in the United States in 2013. These numbers are the second-lowest for any year on record. Nevertheless, as every experienced Oklahoma City injury lawyer has seen, even a single death or catastrophic injury is one too many.
OSHA’s data shows that more than half of workplace accidents result from one of just four causes. If these “Fatal Four” were eliminated, according to OSHA, nearly 500 lives would be saved every year, and countless injuries would be prevented.
Topping the “Fatal Four” list are falls, which caused 1 in every 3 on the job deaths in 2013 alone. Being struck by an object caused just over 10 percent of workplace deaths, followed closely by electrocution (8.6 percent) and being caught in or pinned between machinery or other large objects (2.5 percent).
Workplace accidents may result from worker or employer negligence. They may also be caused by the dangerous carelessness of a third party, like the manufacturer or designer of items used on the job. Passersby, motorists, and other third parties might also negligently cause harm. Figuring out who is responsible is the first step toward ensuring that an injured person is fully compensated for the harm caused.
