Worker deaths hit 5-year high in 2014, 2015 rates lower

Oregon has reached a five year high for the number of work-related deaths leading to compensation, although the state remains in a low period compared with historic data.

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services released compensable fatalities numbers for the first half of 2015 and the complete data for 2014. A compensable fatality is a claim of work-related death or disease that has been accepted by insurers and leads to compensation.

According to the reports, the department received notification of 31 compensable fatalities in 2014. That’s a five-year high, but it’s still the fifth-lowest recorded number of fatalities for a calendar year since the state began tracking them in 1943, continuing the trend of decreasing fatality numbers since the 1970s. So far, there have been fewer reported worker fatalities for 2015.

The average age of fatalities in 2014 was 44 and the most common cause of death was being struck by or against objects with eight deaths. Homicides accounted for four deaths. Vehicle accidents were the highest source of death, accounting for nearly half of all compensable fatalities.

The highest number of fatalities by occupation were construction workers with about 20 percent, followed by installers, repairers and truck drivers with about 13 percent each, and logging and protective service workers with about 10 percent each.

Preliminary data released Wednesday for January through June shows 11 fatalities reported this year, compared to 20 by this time last year.

Although the total number of reported fatalities is down, the numbers increased for loggers. Six deaths related to logging have been reported this year, compared with one by the end of June last year.

The Department of Consumer and Business Services numbers do not include self-employed workers, workers who were employed by out of state businesses, Portland police and fire employees or federal employees because their deaths are not covered by Oregon workers’ compensation system. It’s also important to note that the data are based on when a fatality claim is accepted, which can be different than the date of death or injury.

gfriedman2@statesmanjournal.com, (503) 399-6653 or on Twitter @gordonrfriedman