MO work deaths represent 3% of U.S. total in 2011

Employers in Missouri reported 133 fatal work injuries in 2011, roughly 3 percent of the national total, according to preliminary results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In the U.S., 4,609 fatal work injuries were reported last year, down from 4,690 in 2010, according to a Sept. 20 news release from the BLS.

Missouri's preliminary 2011 total is up 27 deaths from the prior year.

The highest number of work deaths was reported in  Texas, at 433, followed by California, 360, and New York, 205. California and New York recorded increases, while the number of events in Texas was down, the release said.

In the U.S., the rate of fatal work injuries among U.S. workers was 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent employees.

Of total deaths in the U.S., 89 percent were reported in the private industry, according to the release.