Workplace fatalities in the US rose in 2016 over 2015, according to the latest information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Colorado saw an increase in work-related deaths as well, following nationwide trends.

The statistics
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reports that 81 workers died on the job in 2016, up from 75 in 2015. More than half of those incidents were transportation-related—far more than the second-place cause of death, workplace violence.

Loren Sweatt, Deputy Assistant Secretary for OSHA, issued the following statement regarding the report:

“The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is committed to finding new and innovative ways of working with employers and employees to improve workplace safety and health. OSHA will work to address these trends through enforcement, compliance assistance, education and training, and outreach.”

Nationally, the number of overdoses on the job increased by 32 percent from 2015 to 2016, following an upward trend in on-the-job overdoes fatalities since 2012. Drug-related injuries have been connected to the growing opioid epidemic in the US.

So what does this mean for landscape companies?
The statistics are a sobering reminder that safety is an ongoing process. Safety on the work site is crucial, but it is also important to address issues of roadway safety. Be sure you are talking with your crews about how to safely arrive at the site as well as be safe while working.

OSHA safety resources can be found on their website, including ten tips to get your safety program started.

For more information and statistics, visit www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/rate2015co.htm or www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/work-injury-data.