Despite the best efforts of workers and legislators to improve the safety of all occupations, fatal workplaces accidents continue to occur with regularity in Texas and around the country. Every year, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) compiles data on fatal occupational injuries and releases its findings to the public. In this blog post, we’ll use the most recent report, issued in December 2018, to discuss the seven deadliest jobs in our state.
The December 2018 report covers fatal injuries occurring in the year 2017. TDI says there were 534 total occupational deaths in Texas in 2017. That’s a 2 percent decrease from 545 a year earlier. Nationally, 5,147 people died on the job, meaning 9.6 percent of all workplace deaths took place in Texas.
The rate of fatal work accidents in Texas was 4.3 per 100,000 full-time employees.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, jobs that require great amounts of driving are the deadliest jobs in Texas. 116 deaths occurred in 2017 among truck drivers and driver/sales workers. That’s 22 percent of all fatal work accidents, by far the largest percentage of any category in the TDI report. The number of deaths rose compared to 2016, when there were 106 deaths.
Construction workers had the second highest number of fatal workplace accidents in 2017, with 43 incidents. This accounts for 8 percent of all on-the-job fatalities for the year. The 43 incidents are six fewer than in 2016. Considering the high-risk nature of working around heavy equipment, working high off the ground, and other hazards, we expect construction site accidents to remain on this list for the foreseeable future.
24 people lost their lives while engaged in what TDI classifies as labor and material moving jobs in 2017, making it the third deadliest occupation in Texas. Material moving is a broad category that isn’t fully defined in the report, but often includes things like excavating, mining, railroads, and cargo ships.
Workers who handle installation, maintenance, and repairs at commercial buildings are at great risk of wrongful death and serious injury. 18 maintenance workers were killed on the job in 2017, making it the fourth deadliest job in the state.
Agricultural workers spend their days around heavy equipment and working outdoors, often in the middle of hot Texas days. That dangerous mix led to 17 deaths in 2017, making ag work the fifth deadliest job in the state.
At Ted B. Lyon & Associates, in Dallas, our attorneys are experienced in pursuing wrongful death claims on behalf of families who lost loved ones in workplace accidents. We understand the emotional nature of these situations, and we handle these claims aggressively to obtain compensation for the survivors. Call us at 877-Ted-Lyon / 877-833-5966 or contact us online for a free attorney consultation.
