Deaths drop, suicides spike at work

Workplace deaths are down 10 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unfortunately, the number of suicides jumped 28 percent in 2008, the last year or which data is available.

A total of 5,071 fatalities occurred in the workplace in 2008. This is the lowest rate since the BLS started keeping track in 1992. Just shy of five percent of these deaths (251) are suicides, the highest rate since 1992. Despite having the data, the BLS doesn't understand the reason for the suicide surge but plans to research it further.

A number of factors could be responsible for the change. For the drop in overall fatalities, a one percent decline in the number of hours worked relative to 2007. Lower workload and less time worked usually result in less fatigue and accidents, which translates to fewer deaths. The construction industry, which usually leads in workplace fatalities, showed declines ahead of other industries in hours worked. Fatal injuries in the construction sector fell 20 percent.