Forty-four people lost their lives to work-related injuries in Connecticut in 2015, the largest number of fatalities since 2010, according to a new state report.
Work-related fatalities numbered 35 in 2014, while the 44 deaths tallied in 2015 were above the annual statewide average of 39 deaths, according to the February edition of the Connecticut Economic Digest, which is a joint publication of the Connecticut departments of Labor and Economic and Community Development.
At the same time, 33 states recorded more deaths than Connecticut. Connecticut’s work injury fatality rate for the state is 2.6 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, a relatively “low” number primarily due to low employment in high-risk industries, said Erin C. Wilkins, an associate research analyst for DOL.
“However, it cannot be stressed enough that even one work-related death is one too many,” Wilkins wrote.
State Labor Commissioner Scott D. Jackson urged companies, agencies and organizations to participate in CONN-OSHA’s no-cost employer consultation service, which provides expert evaluation of a worksite and prescribed actions for improvements to help ensure a safe and productive work environment.
