Seventeen people covered by Oregon’s workers’ compensation system died on the job during 2010, the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) announced today. The total represents an all-time low in Oregon.  The statewide rate of reported workplace injuries and illnesses has decreased more than 50 percent since the late 1980s.

 “Employers and workers deserve credit for focusing their efforts on reducing accidents and injuries over the past several years,” said Scott Harra, DCBS acting director. “We must remain committed to minimizing workplace risks, especially as the economy improves and people new to trades or industries enter the workforce.”

Trucking, logging, and manufacturing industries saw the largest concentration of deaths in 2010. There were no construction deaths in 2010 – a significant improvement from 2007 when 12 fatalities occurred.  Read more. 

Source: News Release – Mar 8, 2011  Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services