New preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that fatalities in the Oklahoma work place rose during 2010. The data exhibits that 91 deaths occurred on the job in the state last year, an 11 percent jump from the 82 work place deaths that the Labor Department reported in 2009. On the national scale, over 4,500 occupational deaths were documented in 2010, within close range of the number of deaths in 2009.
Why the rise in on the job fatalities in Oklahoma? As reported by News OK, the rise may be deceiving according to one official with the Labor Statistics Bureau. Cheryl Abbot, an economist with the agency based in Dallas, told the website that although the rise “was substantial, the number of fatalities was in line with 2002 through 2008 and it’s actually the sharp decline in 2009 that is unusual.” She attributed the 2009 drop to a swell of unemployment during the economic recession’s peak.
According to the numbers, the construction industry produced 24 deaths, among the largest in the state. One positive note in the negative data was the significant drop in highway-related job fatalities from 34 to 21 between 2009 and 2010. Deaths in the workplace in Oklahoma range from a recorded peak of 200 in 1995 (the year of the Oklahoma City bombing) to a low of 75 in 1998. 27 other states and Washington, D.C. reported a rising number of fatalities for 2010. The 2010 numbers are considered preliminary until the final report is made public in the spring of 2012. If your loved one has been killed in a workplace accident, contact the Oklahoma City wrongful death attorneys with Maples Law Firm at (405) 705-5050 for a free case review today.
