2014 final workplace fatalities higher than previously reported

Employers and employees in South Carolina may be interested in learning that the workplace fatality rates for 2014 have now been updated. The numbers reflect changes to the 2014 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.

According to the final numbers, 4,821 people were killed in workplace accidents around the country in 2014. This represents an increase over the preliminary number of 4,679 deaths that was reported in September 2015. Per 100,000 full-time workers, 3.4 lost their lives, which was an increase over the rate of 3.3 per 100,000 workers reported in 2013. This was the first increase in the workplace fatality rate since 2010.

The number of deaths in the private construction industry jumped by 9 percent over the previous year. The number was the highest that had occurred since 2008. Across all occupations, workers who were aged 55 or older accounted for 1,691 deaths. That number was the largest number of deaths for that age group that has ever been recorded, increasing by 8 percent over the previous high.

When people leave for their jobs each do, they do so for the most part without thinking they might be seriously injured in a workplace accident. While some occupations are inherently more dangerous than others, people can get injured in a variety of situations. Being hurt in an accident often means medical expenses and an inability to return to work, and workers’ compensation insurance is designed to provide a measure of relief in that regard. The claim-filing process is time-sensitive, which is why many injured workers obtain the assistance of an attorney when seeking benefits.