Connecticut Among Lowest In Workplace Deaths

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal statistics show Connecticut has the second-lowest rate of worker deaths in the nation.

New Hampshire and Rhode Island tied with the lowest rate, 1.8 deaths per 100,000 workers. Connecticut joined New Jersey and Massachusetts for second lowest, 2.1 deaths per 100,000 workers.

The federal figures were compiled in a report issued by the AFL-CIO. The data show that there were more than 5,800 fatal workplace injuries reported nationwide in 2006, about 100 more than in 2005. The numbers also showed a significant increase in worker deaths among Hispanics.

Alaska had the highest fatality rate at 13.8 deaths per 100,000 workers, followed by Wyoming, West Virginia, and Montana. Officials say those states rank high on the list because they traditionally have high employment in dangerous jobs such as logging, mining, and oil and gas drilling.

There were a total of 5,840 fatal workplace injuries in 2006, an increase from the year before, with significant increases in fatalities among Latino and foreign-born workers.

On average, 16 workers were fatally injured and another 11,200 workers were injured or made ill each day in 2006. These statistics do not include deaths from occupational diseases, which claim the lives of an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 more workers each year.

This year’s report examined job safety enforcement in cases of worker deaths, finding that the average national total penalty in fatality investigations was just $10,133. Delaware was the state with the lowest average penalties in fatality cases, with no penalties assessed, followed by Alaska, with $750 in penalties per fatality case, and by Oregon, with $793.

The report also found that Oregon continued to have the lowest average penalty for serious violations of the OSHA Act, at $292 per violation, followed by South Carolina at $363.

New Hampshire and Rhode Island were tied for the best record of workplace safety. Twenty-nine states saw an increase in either the rate or number of fatalities between 2005 and 2006.

The construction sector had the largest number of fatal work injuries (1,239, up from 1,192 in 2005), followed by transportation and warehousing (860), and agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (655). The mining industry also saw a sharp increase in fatalities, from 159 deaths reported in 2005 to 192 deaths reported in 2006.