By Megan Wolfarth, Training and Safety Director
I know that I am one of those people who think that “it can’t happen to me.” The 5,071 people who died on the job in 2008 probably thought the same thing. Here are the top three reasons for fatalities in the workplace. I hope that these numbers provide a reminder to everyone who works in our field everyday!
1. Car crashes and forklift incidents
Transportation incidents caused 2,053 deaths, and most of them on the high way. The non-highway related fatalities were caused when workers were hit by industrial vehicles. (Remember that the speed limit in the yard is 5 mph!) The other top non-highway related causes of deaths were overturning forklifts. It’s important that you are trained on all of our safety regulations before getting on this piece of equipment!
2. Machine and equipment dangers
Most times falling or flying equipment is the cause of fatalities in this category. A total of 923 deaths occurred in 2008 just from people misusing equipment or from not being properly trained.
3. Workplace violence
Luckily, I don’t think we have to worry about this at Mr. John; however, there were a total of 794 deaths because of homicides and suicides at the workplace. I know how high tensions can get, but remember that sticks and stones can break your bones…
Now that I’ve cheered you up, I hope you have a good, safe day! If you want more information on workplace dangers, give me a call or visit the U.S. Department of Labor statistics for more details.
