THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, August 9, 1996                TAG: 9608090495
SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D2   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER 
                                            LENGTH:   35 lines

STUDY SHOWS TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENTS AS LEADING CAUSE OF JOB-RELATED DEATH

For the third consecutive year, transportation accidents were the leading cause of job-related deaths in Virginia in 1995.

Almost half of fatal occupational injuries resulted from highway accidents, farm vehicle mishaps or aircraft incidents, according to the Virginia Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries released Thursday. The study attributed 60 of 132 fatalities to transportation.

The census was conducted by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry with the help of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Department of Labor.

``Highway fatalities have been a major factor for a few years now,'' said Jennifer Wester, supervisor of research and analysis for the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry.

Overall, the the number of occupational deaths decreased from 164 in 1994 to 132 in 1995.

``It's really nice we can report a 20 percent drop,'' Wester said. ``But we're talking about small numbers. They tend to be unpredictable. Up one year and down the next.''

Truck drivers accounted for half of highway fatalities. Eight-two percent of the truck drivers killed were not wearing seat belts.

Farm workers accounted for 86 percent of the nonhighway fatalities.

Transportation, public utility and agriculture industries accounted for the majority of transportation deaths.

Assault and violent acts killed 20 workers, representing 15 percent of the deaths. Nine of the 10 homicide victims died of gunshot wounds.

Sales occupations accounted for half of the homicides, while transportation and material-moving occupations represented 40 percent. by CNB