Fatal falls up significantly in 2014

While the overall rate of fatal workplace accidents remained steady in 2014 compared with the year before, there was a significant increase in fatalities caused by falls, slips and trips, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

Fatal falls were up 9% in 2014, according to preliminary estimates from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries conducted by the  Bureau . Of those incidents, the large majority resulted from falls to a lower level, and where the height of the fall was known, two-thirds were 20 feet or less.

Another area where fatalities increased was in the private mining, quarry, and oil and gas extraction industries, according to the report. In that industry segment, fatalities were up 17 percent in 2014 compared with 2013. The rate of fatal accidents per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers was 14.1 in 2014, compared with 12.4 in 2013.

In all, there were 4,679 fatal workplace accidents in 2014, according to the preliminary count, the report said.