The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently released information regarding fatal injuries on the job site that result from fires. According to statistics, work-related deaths caused by fire have more than doubled in number from 2009 when the number was just 53. In 2010, that number jumped significantly to 109 workers, which is now the highest rate of burn-related deaths since 2003.
Many of the fire-related work deaths were the direct result of poor supervision. In the cases where fires were accidental, the reason fatalities occurred is due to the lack of proper equipment for fire safety and rescue. Both situations are an act of negligence on the part of the employer.
Fires on the job site occur from multiple triggers including electrical fires, equipment fires, and explosions. These fires result in severe burns which have prompted long hospital stays and extended periods of therapy to recover from, if recovery is possible. Burns from fires can be serious and cause multiple related health complications that end in death.
Employers have an obligation to instill in their workers the proper protocol for dealing with accidental fires as well as the precautions necessary to prevent these fires. With the statistics showing that more deaths than ever have occurred due to on the job fires, it appears that a closer look needs to be taken in regards to fire safety and practices in American businesses.
