Murray Madsen
In 2009 65 people died as a result of work-related accidents. This is the lowest number recorded since 2001 by the Iowa Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation (IA FACE) conducted by the University of Iowa.
Murray Madsen, head of the Programme’s survey on traumas, commented: “We have only seen such low numbers twice since the programme began back in the mid-1990s. Although there might be a slight rise when year-end data come in, we can say right now that the drop in the number of work-related deaths in Iowa is positive news”.
Madsen believes that the fall is partly due to the economic crisis, with special reference to the drop in traffic volumes and thus a fall in road accidents.
Agriculture was again the sector posting the largest number of work-related deaths: 35% of the 2009 total.
On a positive note, there were fewer cases of overturning tractors, falls from heights and knock-downs involving farm machinery. Madsen recalled however that everybody has to work to reduce the number of accidents, in particular making farmworkers aware of the main risks they run.
