The Department of Labor says workplace fatalities are down 25 percent in 2010 from 2009. Director Larry Rebman says since the department began promoting their free safety training programs to businesses, the number of fatalities have fallen.
There were 107 workplace fatalities in 2010, and Rebman says every year there are fatalities in transportation related fields. He says trucking accidents, road workers being struck and even policemen killed on the roads contribute to that number.
Rebman says Missouri passed a law that requires a 10-hour OSHA safety training course for new employees in construction fields, which was previously where the most fatalities happened. In 2010, there was a rise in workplace deaths in agriculture related fields.
The state labor department says in 2009, there were three ag worker fatalities in Missouri. In 2010, there were 23. Crop production accounted for 23 of the 25 fatalities in the ag, forestry, fishing and hunting sector last year. The construction sector had the second most occupational fatalities with 12.
Those who wish to apply for free on-site safety training can visit the department’s website.
(AUDIO) Allison Blood reports on workplace safety Mp3 1:02