An accident can happen to anyone anywhere, and your workplace in New Jersey is no exception—a fact that data confirms each year. The Insurance Journal explains that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics collects this information on fatal workplace accidents from a wide range of agencies, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, among others.
Although you may check various state and federal information sources to see the preliminary numbers throughout the year, the official statistics go through a rigorous verification process before being released to the public. After a review of over 21,000 documents, the BLS has concluded its research for 2015 and made the data available.
It may not surprise you to learn that accidents involving transportation and motor vehicles were among the highest that year, with 37 people killed. Slips, trips and falls can happen in any environment, but of the 24 people who died in this type of incident, the accidents occurred primarily in the construction and extraction industries. Eleven people died after coming in contact with equipment and objects on the job.
Attacks from both animals and people killed 18 New Jersey workers in 2015. These violent workplace incidents affected half of the self-employed people who died. However, only 14 percent of the total deaths were self-employed.
If you are a woman, statistics indicate that you may be much less likely to suffer a fatal injury on the job in the state. Only 2 percent of the work-related deaths in New Jersey were female, a much lower rate than the nationwide average of 7 percent. The 2015 overall total of 97 fatal injuries is 10 percent higher than 2014. This information is educational in nature, and should not be considered legal advice.