Late last week, the North Carolina Department of Labor announced that 53 people died in 2011 in workplace accidents in the state. The news was accompanied by the unsettling fact that each of those deaths could have been avoided.

The state's labor commissioner is quoted in a news report saying that safety and health training could have prevented each of those tragic workplace accidents. The North Carolina Department of Labor provides such training at no charge, she noted.

The nature of the fatal accidents listed in the report varied. They included falls, heat-related incidents and being struck by vehicles or equipment. The number of fatalities is up slightly from 2010, when 50 workers died in workplace accidents.

Mecklenburg County experienced the second highest number of fatalities of any county, with five deaths. Wake County had the most with six.

The construction industry had the most fatalities of any field, with 16. Ten people died in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry.

The public utility industry experienced six fatalities; the government, five; wholesale trade, five; retail trade, four; service industry, four; and there were three fatalities in the manufacturing arena last year.

These statistics need to shrink rather than grow in 2012. The unexpected death of a family member in a workplace accident certainly brings emotional anguish and uncertainty to a family. Though survivors can file a wrongful death suit to obtain compensation after someone suffers an accidental death at work, this will not even begin to replace their loss. Such litigation is useful to help with the loss of income, funeral expenses and other damages, so that a family can focus on dealing with their loss.

Source: WRAL.com, "Workplace fatalities up in 2011," Matthew Burns, Jan. 13, 2011