Louisiana Ranks #2 in Worker Safety

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has ranked Louisiana as the country's second safest city in which to work. Researchers from the BLS found work-related injuries fell from 2 incidents per 100 full-time workers in 2014 down to 1.9 incidents per 100 full-time workers in 2015. When comparing these statistics against those of 41 other participating states, Louisiana ranked second in terms of worker safety, only behind the District of Columbia, which came out on top.

Louisiana workers are exposed to many of the same hazards are workers in other states, with some of the most commonly reported incidents involving slip-and-falls (from sale level and elevated level), electrocution, heat exhaustion, fatigue and back pain. The BLS suggests, however, that work-related injuries in Louisiana are declining. While dropping by just one-tenth of a point isn't a major milestone, it still signals a positive trend in which fewer workers are sustaining injury. In fact, the state has continued to improve its worker safety numbers ever since the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its reporting and record-keeping rules back in 2002.

"Louisiana consistently ranks as one of the best in the nation for worker safety, an amazing statistic given the prevalence of high-risk occupations in our state,” said LWC Executive Director Ava Dejoie. “While I congratulate our Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration and our OSHA consultation team for their outstanding work, we recognize that the efforts to improve safety continue until we reach zero incidents.”

Not surprisingly, workers compensation rates are expected to decline yet again in Louisiana, according to the state's Department of Insurance. Assuming they do in fact drop -- which experts believe they will -- this will be the fourth consecutive year for the decline. The National Council of Compensation Insurance has even recommended reducing workers compensation rates by a staggering 9.8% for 2017.

What does all of this mean for workers and employers in Louisiana? Well, it means several things. For starters, these findings suggest that employers throughout the sate are taking it upon themselves to promote better safety. As shown by these BLS report, work-related injuries in Louisiana have been on the decline -- and they will likely remain so for quite some time. With fewer work-related injuries, employers are also reaping the benefits of lower workers compensation premiums, which is a huge benefit in itself.