The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its report of workplace fatalities in Louisiana for 2010, and highway incidents topped the list of causes of death in the workplace. Highway incidents accounted for 24 deaths in the state in 2010, which was an increase from 20 deaths in 2009. Overall, highway incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event across the United States.
Fatal occupational highway incidents include car accidents, vehicle striking a worker, railway accident, aircraft accident, vehicle striking an object on the road and overturned vehicle. Although worker deaths from fires and explosions rose nationwide (15 percent), fires and explosions were responsible for only 4 percent of worker deaths in Louisiana.
There were 104 total workplace deaths in the state in 2010, which marks the fourth lowest on record. Behind highway incidents, there were 11 work-related deaths from homicide and 17 workplace deaths caused by an object striking the victim. Of the 104-workplace victims in Louisiana in 2010, only one was a woman. Another significant statistic is that 75 percent of the workplace victims in the state were Hispanic.
A closer look at specific occupations revealed that the transportation and warehousing sector had the highest number of deaths at 41 in 2010.
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