The good news is that the chance of dying on the job in Florida is still small. In 2007, Florida’s workplace death rate was 4.6 per 100,000 workers. The national rate is 3.7 per 100,000 workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The majority of those killed in on-the-job accidents were men: 329 vs. 33 women. Only 42 of those killed were self-employed. The rest were hourly or salaried employees. Overall, the typical person who died on the job in Florida in 2007 was a 50-year-old white male truck driver earning around $30,000 a year who died in a traffic accident.
Deaths on the Job
1» Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
Deaths: 43
Mean Wage: $29,266
2» Construction laborers
Deaths: 29
Mean Wage: $24,250
3» Grounds maintenance workers
Deaths: 21
Mean Wage: $28,220
4» Police officers, deputies
Deaths: 16
Mean Wage: $49,420
Dangers: Seven officers were gunned down in 2007. Two others were victims of vehicular assault; three were struck by vehicles; two died in automobile accidents; one died during a vehicle pursuit; and another in an ATV accident.
5» First-line supervisors/
managers, sales workers
Deaths: 13
Mean Wage: $43,470 (retail), $73,760 (non-retail)
6» Laborers and material movers
Deaths: 11
Mean Wage: $22,470
7» Electricians
Deaths: 11
Mean Wage: $37,730
8» Building cleaning workers (includes janitors, maids, window washers)
Deaths: 11
Mean Wage: $27,550
9» Roofers
Deaths: 9
Mean Wage: $31,340
Dangers: In 2005, the rate of injuries for roofing
contractors in the United States was almost
twice that of workers overall.
10» Agricultural workers (farming, fishing and forestry occupations)
Deaths: 9
Mean Wage: $20,820
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