Work-Related Fatalities in Louisiana Decline

The number of work-related fatalities in 2011 in Louisiana declined to 109, according to a preliminary report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. This is down slightly from the revised figure of 111 deaths in 2010, and from 140 deaths in 2009.

The lower numbers are encouraging news for Louisiana, said LWC Executive Director Curt Eysink.

“We support and encourage all employer efforts to keep workers safe, which is in all of our best interests,” Eysink said.

Industries reporting the most fatalities included trade, transportation and utilities with 28, followed by construction with 22 and natural resources and mining with 17.

The agency’s Office of Workers’ Compensation collects the data in partnership with the BLS. Additional state and national data is available at the BLS website’s Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities section at www.bls.gov/iif.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission administers the Workers’ Compensation system in Louisiana.