5%

Percentage increase on-the-job fatalities in Virginia last year, despite declines in several categories, according to the State Department of Labor and Industry. The agency found that 154 workers were killed on the job last year, compared to 146 in 2007. Most concerning: Workplace assaults and “contact with falling objects” drove the fatality rate up. Labor and Industry Commissioner C. Ray Davenport said state officials are disappointed with the increase.