Oregon Workplace Deaths Down in Second Quarter of 2015, Report Shows

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Workplace deaths in Oregon for the second quarter of 2015 were down markedly from the previous quarter, possibly resuming a long-turn trend of deaths on average falling steadily since the 1980s, according to the the state bureau that tracks the statistics.

The Quarterly Fatality Report from the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services for the second quarter of 2015 shows two fatalities accepted for workers’ compensation benefits compared with 10 last year for this time period.

“We’ve made progress in pushing the death toll down,” said Melanie Mesaros, a DCBS public information officer.

In the 1980s workplace deaths in Oregon averaged 81 per year, and in the 1990s that dropped to 55 per year, she said.

The bureau announced in March that 31 people covered by the Oregon workers’ comp system died on the job during 2014, a figure that marks an ongoing temporary rise in the count until this recent quarter.

In 2010 there were 17 workplace deaths reported, a drop that Mesaros said was probably tied to high unemployment and the economic downturn.

“2010 was the state’s all-time low recorded,” she said. “But if we were to compare numbers today with what we’ve seen in previous decades, we’re still much safer today than we have been.”

Mesaros added that “any death on job is one too many.”

Once the economy began to recover and gain steam, the death toll began to climb.

In 2011 28 people died on the job, and in 2012 there were 30 reported deaths. Oregon began tracking workplace deaths in 1943.

So far in 2015 11 deaths were reported, far fewer than the 20 deaths reported as of this point last year, according to DCBS.

Mesaros credits the long-term trend to greater emphasis on workplace safety. DCBS offers safety workshops and training, as well as free confidential consultations with employers.

“I think there’s more awareness around some of the safety issues,” she said.

The report also presents compensable fatalities grouped by industry and accident.

A five-year total of 106 workplace deaths from 2010 to 2014 shows roadway accidents, with 27 reported deaths, as the top workplace killer. Being struck by or against an object accounted for 19 deaths, a fall or jump to a lower level was the cause of 12 deaths, 11 deaths were the result of workplace homicides and 10 deaths were due to a pedestrian accident.

The two reported deaths for 2Q 2015 were in the construction, and the transportation and warehousing industries, the report shows.