Companies in Wisconsin and throughout the country have a responsibility to keep their workers safe. While it is perhaps their top priority, many of the same mistakes are made in workplaces every year. The recently released 2017 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows this.

According to the 2017 report, workers were most likely to be killed by moving vehicles. Falls from heights, being struck by falling objects and interacting with electricity were other common reasons why workers were killed in 2017. These have also been common reasons for employee deaths in the past.

The odds of a person dying are also predictable as many of the same professions have had the highest fatality rates for many years now. In 2017, workers in the logging industry trailed only those in the commercial fishing industry for the highest fatality rate. However, logging had the highest rate in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 report. Pilots, roofers and truck drivers were also among those with the highest risks of dying on the job, according to the 2017 report. Individuals who were self-employed had a higher fatality rate than those who worked from an employer. This could be attributed to the fact that employees work in safer environments.

A farmer or construction worker who is hurt on the job could be entitled to compensation for lost wages. If workers are killed on the job, their families may be entitled to death benefits or other forms of compensation. Generally, workplace accidents are handled by the workers’ compensation system. Employers are typically required to carry workers’ compensation insurance, and compensation is generally available regardless of why the accident occurred.