Department of Labor Issues Report on Fatal Occupational Injuries in Maine Bookmark and Share

September 22, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 22, 2014
Contact: Julie Rabinowitz, 207-621-5009

Nineteen workers died from work-related injuries in 2012

AUGUSTA?According to a new report issued this week by the Research and Statistics Unit of the Bureau of Labor Standards, 19 Maine workers died from occupational or work-related injuries in 2012.

That year, the national occupational fatality rate was 3.4 per 100,000 workers. In contrast, Maine?s rate of occupational fatalities was 3.2 per 100,000 workers. Research regarding 2012 fatal occupational injuries in Maine indicates a 1 percentage-point decrease in Maine?s occupational fatality rate, falling from 4.2 in 2011.

?Decision makers and businesses use this information to make safety improvements that protect Maine?s workers,? explained Governor Paul R. LePage. ?No Maine worker should ever die on the job. We are continuing our efforts to reduce the number of injuries and deaths in our workplaces.?

In 2012, the most common cause of death in the workplace was transportation accidents (42 percent). These deaths include motorized accidents, collisions involving other people, animals or objects and aircraft accidents. Vehicles, including highway and industrial, were secondary causes involved in 5 of the 19 occupational fatalities.

The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program is a cooperative program between the federal government and the state of Maine.

The Research and Statistics Unit manages and analyzes data on workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses and issues summary reports that help employers identify areas for improvements in safety and health protection. Their reports and data visualizations using Tableau are located on the Department of Labor?s website at www.maine.gov/labor/laborstats/research.html . The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries report can be accessed at http://www.maine.gov/labor/laborstats/publications/cfoi/index.html .

The Department of Labor will release 2013 Census of Fatal Occupational Injury data in December 2014.

Businesses interested in confidential and no-charge assistance in reducing workplace injuries should visit the SafetyWorks! website at http://www.safetyworksmaine.com .

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