Hawaiian Fatal Work Injuries Increased Dramatically in 2014

Hawaii recorded 31 fatal work injuries in 2014, up from 11 the previous year. Though the count from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is still preliminary, it represents the highest level since 2001, when 41 Hawaiian workers lost their lives. Nationally, 4,679 workers suffered fatal injuries on the job. The breakdown of work injuries is as follows:

Transportation incidents — 14 (45 percent)
Falls, slips and trips — 7 (23 percent)
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals — 4 (13 percent)
Contact with objects or equipment — 3 (10 percent)
All other — 3 (10 percent)

Among the transportation incidents, four deaths involved aircraft crashes: three on takeoff or landing and one mid-flight. Two involved a motor vehicle’s contact with a pedestrian. Six were off-road incidents involving motorized land vehicles. Six of the seven “falls, trips or slips” involved drops to a lower level. Of the deaths due to acts of violence, one was a homicide, but three were ruled suicides.

The construction industry proved the most deadly, with nine fatalities, up from three in 2013. Falls, slips and trips accounted for half of these deaths. Government had the second highest total with five deaths, unchanged from 2013. Victims were predominantly men, accounting for 84 percent of the deaths, and forty-two percent of men’s deaths were due to transportation incidents.

As a law firm that represents injured workers, Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina & Fairbanks, Attorneys at Law regrets any worker’s death. We hope that individuals responsible for worker safety will reflect on the dramatic increase in worker deaths for 2014 and put in place necessary safeguards against future tragedies.

If you or a loved one has suffered a work-related injury, call 808.524.1433 to schedule a free consultation or contact our Honolulu office online.