Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2010

A preliminary total of 4,547 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2010, about the same as the final count of 4,551 fatal work injuries in 2009, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rate of fatal work injury for U.S. workers in 2010 was 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, the same as the final rate for 2009. Over the last 3 years, increases in the published counts based on information received after the release of preliminary data have averaged 174 fatalities per year or about 3 percent of the revised totals. Final 2010 CFOI data will be released in Spring 2012. 

 Economic factors continue to play a role in the fatal work injury counts. Total hours worked were up slightly in 2010 in contrast to the declines recorded in both 2008 and 2009, but some historically high-risk industries continued to experience declines or slow growth in total hours worked. Key preliminary findings of the 2010 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries: - The number of fatal work injuries among the self-employed declined by 6 percent to 999 fatalities, more than the decline in their hours worked. 

For additional data, access the BLS Internet site: www.bls.gov/iif/. For technical information about and definitions for the CFOI program, please go to the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS web site here: www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch9_a1.htm.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, 2009-2010
Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry and selected event or exposure, 2010
Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and selected event or exposure, 2010
Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by selected worker characteristics and selected event or exposure, 2010
Table 5. Fatal occupational injuries by State and event or exposure, 2010
Table 6. CFOI participating State agencies and telephone numbers
Technical notes
HTML version of the entire news release

Latest Workers Compensation Data Reviewed by Professor John Burton

The Workers' Compensation Resources Research Report (Issue) has just been published. The report is edited by Professor Emeritus John F. Burton, Jr. 

This issue of the Workers’ Compensation Resources Research Report(WCRRR) examines the employers’ costs of workers’ compensation based on the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Part I provides information on the national costs of workers’ compensation from 1986 to 2010. For employers in the private sector, costs dropped for the fifth year in a row and were 1.95 percentage of payroll in 2010. For all non-federal government employees, the employers’ costs of workers’ compensation were 1.87 percent of payroll, continuing a five-year trend of declining costs. Part II of the WCRRR provides data on the differences in the employers’ costs of workers’ compensation due to factors such as geographical location, industry, union status, and occupations of the firm’s employees. The variations of workers’ compensation costs among industries were significant, ranging from 5.75 percent of payroll in construction to 0.63 percent of payroll in the financial industry.

For more information and to order a copy click here.

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Workplace Health and Safety - A Step Backwards

Guest Blog by Jon Rehm 

The recent agreement on the Federal budget includes $49 million in cuts to worker safety and health programs at the the Department of Labor. These cuts were not as drastic as the $99 million that House Republicans had proposed cutting from OSHA alone. However even with the compromise, less money will be spent on workplace safety and health by the federal government this next fiscal year than was spent this past fiscal year. The need for improvements in workplace safety are pressing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there were 965,000 injuries that caused employees to miss work in 2009. There were also 4,340 employees killed at work in 2009.

Workplace safety and health took a step backward as a result of the recent budget agreement. True things could have been worse, but that is no comfort when we should be doing better in regards to workplace safety and health.

Jon Rehm practices in Lincoln, Nebraska (Rehm, Bennett & Moore, PC, LLO). He concentrates his practice on representing injured workers and their families. He hold a  degree in journalism from Northwestern University(B.S.) and a law degree from Nebraska College of Law(J.D.).  Jon is a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association, the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys and the Workplace Injury Law Advocacy Group.

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No Social Security COLA for 2011

Like so many state workers' compensation programs, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 58 million Americans will not automatically increase in 2011, the Social Security Administration announced.


The Social Security Act provides for an automatic increase in Social Security and SSI benefits if there is an increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of the last year a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) was determined to the third quarter of the current year.  As determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is no increase in the CPI-W from the third quarter of 2008, the last year a COLA was determined, to the third quarter of 2010, therefore, under existing law, there can be no COLA in 2011.

Other changes that would normally take effect based on changes in the national average wage index also will not take effect in January 2011.  Since there is no COLA, the statute also prohibits a change in the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax as well as the retirement earnings test exempt amounts.  These amounts will remain unchanged in 2011.  The released agency fact sheet provides more information on 2011 Social Security and SSI changes.

Information about Medicare changes for 2011, when available, will be found at www.Medicare.gov.  The Department of Health and Human Services has not yet announced if there will be any Medicare premium changes for 2011.  Should there be an increase in the Medicare Part B premium, the law contains a “hold harmless” provision that protects more than 70 percent of Social Security beneficiaries from paying a higher Part B premium, in order to avoid reducing their net Social Security benefit.  Those not protected include higher income beneficiaries subject to an income-adjusted Part B premium and beneficiaries newly entitled to Part B in 2011.  In addition, almost 20 percent of beneficiaries have their Medicare Part B premiums paid by state medical assistance programs and thus will see no change in their Social Security benefit.  The state will be required to pay any Medicare Part B premium increase.

For additional information about the 2011 COLA, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/cola.

For additional information about changes in the national average wage index, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/COLA/AWI.html.
.....For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers who have sought Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Benefits.

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Labor Secretary Solis reports a decline in workplace injuries and illnesses

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics today announced that nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses among private industry employers declined in 2009 to a rate of 3.6 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers, down from a total case rate of 3.9 in 2008. BLS also reported a decline in the total number of cases from 3.7 million in 2008 to 3.3 million in 2009. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement:

"While the reported decline in workplace injuries and illnesses is encouraging, 3.3 million workplace injuries and illnesses are 3.3 million too many. No worker should fear being injured or made sick for a paycheck.

"Complete and accurate workplace injury records can serve as the basis for employer programs to investigate injuries and prevent future occurrences. Most employers understand this and do their best to prevent worker injuries, but some do not. That is why my department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is aggressively working to ensure the completeness and accuracy of injury data compiled by the nation's employers. We are concerned about the widespread existence of programs that discourage workers from reporting injuries, and we will continue to issue citations and penalties to employers that intentionally under-report workplace injuries.

"Too many Americans suffer each year from preventable injuries or illnesses they received while on the job. Even in these difficult economic times, we must keep in mind that no job is a good job unless it's a safe job."

........

For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman 1.973.696.7900jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered work related accident and injuries.

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