The latest data on construction site fatalities for 2012 shows a rise in the death rate to 9.9 per 100,000 workers after 2011 had reached a recent low of 9.1 per 100,000, according to an analysis of data by the AFL-CIO.
North Dakota saw a sharp increase in construction industry fatalities, with a fatality rate of 97.4 per 100,000 workers, nearly 10 times the national rate, according to the report. The increase in North Dakota is likely due to the economic boom brought on by the energy industry in the area, experts said. The area is seeing a dramatic increase in residential, institutional, and commercial construction.
An OSHA official in North Dakota said the agency is working to increase safety by conducting site visits and stressing safe driving, as transportation-related mishaps caused the majority of the state’s 65 fatalities in 2012.
(http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20140706/NEWS08/307069991?tags=%7C84%7C304%7C92)
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