California Worker Deaths Down in 2004, but Fatalities Rise Nationally

Worker fatalities were down 9 percent in the Golden State in 2004, according to statistics released by the Division of Labor Statistics and Research (DLSR). There were 416 fatal incidents in California last year, down from 456 in 2003. Nationally, workplace fatalities were up slightly, from 5,575 in 2003 to 5,703 last year. But, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2004 total was the third-lowest