Sixty-five people died from work-related injuries in Colorado last year, 17 fewer than in 2012, according to preliminary figures the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released Thursday.
The number of workplace deaths has been decreasing nationally and in Colorado, said Meredith Towle, Department Occupational Health program manager.
While the decline nationally began in 2000, “in Colorado it has gone back and forth a little bit” but has been declining since 2006, Towle said.
Workers in transportation-related industries accounted for 43 percent of the state’s 65 fatalities with 28 deaths. Of those, 18 were roadway incidents involving motorized vehicles, three were non-roadway incidents and three were the result of vehicles hitting pedestrians, according to a release.
There were 11 deaths from violence in 2013. Of these, five were self-inflicted, intentional injuries.
The incidents were “not necessarily worker-on-worker,” Towle said. “It could be a violent incident that happened at work.”
Another nine people died from falls, slips or trips. Most “were falls from height,” Towle said.
Nine other workers died from exposure to harmful substances or environments, the health department said.
Men made up 91 percent of the fatalities, with 59 deaths.
Fourteen of the deaths were among Hispanic workers, and 47 were among white, non-Hispanics.
Workers in the 45- to 54-year-old age group had the highest number of fatalities, with 19 deaths in 2013, followed by workers in the 25- to 34-year-old age group with 14 deaths.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671, tmcghee@denverpost.com or
