That amounts to about a fatal work injury rate of 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent employees for U.S. workers for the year.

Our Atlanta workers compensation attorneys understand that the final 2010 data for this information will not be released until the Spring of 2012. Until then, this is the most recent information available. It's no surprise that a number of economic factors play a role in the number of fatal work injuries sustained every year. These factors include total hours worked, which was up slightly in 2010 in comparison to both 2008 and 2009.

According to the newly released data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries:

• There was a 5 percent decrease in the number of work-related fatalities experienced by those who were self-employed. This workforce experienced nearly 1,000 fatal work injuries in 2010.
• The private mining industry experienced nearly 200 fatal work injuries in 2010. This amounts to an increase of nearly 75 percent from the previous year. The rate of fatal work injuries in this industry was nearly 20 per 100,000 FTEs in 2010.
• The private construction industry was fortunate enough to experience a 10 percent decrease in the number of fatal work injuries from 2009 to 2010. The number of these injuries is down approximately 40 percent from 2006.
• The number of work-related injuries caused by fires more than doubled from 2009 to 2010. There were more than 100 of these incidents in 2010, which is the highest number on record.
• The number of workplace homicides involving women increased by more than 10 percent from 2009 to 2010. Although this number increased for women, the number for all workers decreased by about 7 percent from the previous year, which is the lowest number ever recorded.
• Fatal work injuries among African-American and non-Hispanic workers declined by nearly 10 percent from the previous year, although the number of these incidents increased by more than 2 percent within the non-Hispanic worker category.
• Work-related deaths involving Latino or Hispanic employees has declined nearly 5 percent.
• Police officers experienced an approximate 40 percent increase in the number of fatal work accidents from 2009 to 2010. These workers experienced less than 100 fatal work accidents in 2009, but the number spiked to more than 130 in 2010.
• The total number of worked hours for those both hourly and salary employees increased in 2010. Unfortunately, these hours decreased for those who are self-employed.
• The number of fatal work injuries sustained by women increased by more than 5 percent, but decreased by only 1 percent for men.

The number of work injuries sustained by employees who were under the age of 18, workers age 25 to 34, and workers ages 55-years-old and older recorded a decrease in the number of these accidents.

There are twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia that reported to have experienced an increase in the number of fatal work injuries from 2009 to 2010. Only 23 states reported to have experienced a decrease in the number of these fatal accidents.

Our Atlanta workers' compensation lawyers urge you to participate in Georgia's "Go Orange!" work zone safety campaign in an attempt to reduce the dangers in our highway construction zones.

"The arrival of spring and warmer weather, coupled with construction through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, mean an increase in highway construction and heightens the risk for Georgia motorists and GDOT workers," a press release said.

GDOT officials report that, in 2009, nearly 700 people died and almost 34,000 people were injured in road construction zones in the United States, according to Fox 31. The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse reports that Georgia reported more than 30 deaths and almost 1,300 injures to those statistics.

"The biggest problem we have with that is motorist speeding through the work zone, not slowing down, and running what we've reduced the speed to; so speeding and then the other thing is texting and talking on the phone," says Craig Solomon with the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Officials will be displaying 57 orange cones and will be wearing orange vests to alert drivers of the threats motorists pose to road workers. Officials are representing the 57 workers we've lost in work zones since 1973. Motorists present the greatest risk of threats to these employees. It is not uncommon for a Georgia construction employee to work in these zones while cars fly by at speeds of 65 miles per hour.

The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse offers these tips to workers in the construction and maintenance zones:

-Make sure you and your employer have ensured adequate separation between workers and traffic.

-Make sure everyone on site is trained in federal- and state-approved traffic control
procedures.

-Implement standards that require all workers to wear personal protective equipment, which can include hard hats, safety glasses, steel-toed boots, reflective vests, etc.

-Make sure appropriate safety devices are use, such as drums, cones, and a truck-mounted attenuator when working in a closed travel lane.

-Avoid using MP3 players, radios, televisions or any other distracting devices while on the job.

-Have a plan for escaping your work area to a safe location if something happens.

GDOT officials have presented this Work Zone Safety Presentation to help motorists practice more educated driving skills in these construction and maintenance zones.

Georgia workers' compensation lawyers would like to remind you that your safety is your employers business, too. An Economic News Release reports that nearly 100 people were killed in Georgia work accidents last year and about half of those died in transportation incidents. Our lawyers can help you to take some of the stress out of workers' compensation problems and personal injury accidents so you can focus on your recovery.

GHSU President Ricardo Azziz previously denied a request asking that the area, where the incident earlier this week took place, be closed off to most vehicle traffic. Azziz has decided to open the case up once again and continue to look into the issue.

The National Highways Transportation Safety Administration reports that nearly 31,000 fatalities occurred last year from motor vehicle traffic crashes. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average employed American works an estimated 47-hours a week. That leaves plenty of opportunity for work-related car accidents to occur.

Being injured on the job can have numerous effects on your life. Not only will you have to fight for your rights as an employee to cover medical expenses, but you could faced lost wages at work and other issues that impact your future financial well-being. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that more than 1.2 million employees missed work last year because of an on-the-job accident causing lost wages.

Our Georgia workers' compensation lawyers know too well that car accidents and other transportation accidents are a leading cause of job-related injuries in Georgia.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that transportation accidents were responsible for 1,682 of the 4,340 fatal work accidents nationwide last year. Transportation accidents accounted for just about half of all fatal Georgia work accidents -- 47 of 96.

"Year after year, the leading cause of worker fatalities is motor vehicle crashes," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "There's no question that new communications technologies are helping businesses work smarter and faster. But getting work done faster does not justify the dramatically increased risk of injury and death that comes with texting while driving."

The new safety campaign is aimed at those who drive the cars, trucks and vans that deliver the nation's goods and services. The government is requesting that companies examine practices and policies. Employers are also being reminded they have a legal obligation to prohibit workplace hazards like texting and driving.

"OSHA's message to all companies whose employees drive on the job is straightforward: It is your responsibility and legal obligation to have a clear, unequivocal and enforced policy against texting while driving," said Michaels. "Companies are in violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act if, by policy or practice, they require texting while driving, or create incentives that encourage or condone it, or they structure work so that texting is a practical necessity for workers to carry out their jobs. OSHA will investigate worker complaints, and employers who violate the law will be subject to citations and penalties."

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that more than 5,400 motorists were killed in accidents blamed on distracted drivers last year. The government has increasingly pushed for a ban on text messaging by drivers -- so far 30 states have complied.

Georgia is one of the states that has outlawed text messaging by all drivers.

As part of its outreach, OSHA launched a new distracted driving website for Georgia workers.