Motor vehicle incidents continue to be top cause of Oregon worker fatalities: report

Portland, OR – Motor vehicle incidents are the leading cause of occupational fatalities in Oregon, according to a recent report from the Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program.

OR-FACE analyzed the causes and characteristics of worker fatalities in the state as part of its 2013 annual report, which was released in August. Fatal work activities included motor vehicle transportation (11 fatalities), contact with objects and equipment (10), falls (six), exposure (five), mobile machinery transportation (five) and violence (three).

The findings reflect a decade-long trend in Oregon, in which 184 workers died between 2003 and 2013 as a result of motor vehicle incidents. Contact with objects and equipment was the second leading cause, with 147 deaths in that span.

Overall, Oregon is making progress in protecting its workers. The state recorded 43 fatalities in 2013, which was lower than the previous three years (51 in 2010, 59 in 2011 and 47 in 2012). Oregon’s rate of 2.4 fatalities per 100,000 employed workers in the civilian labor force was well below the national rate of 3.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers.