A new report says work-place deaths in Michigan are on the decline.
But work related homicides are rising.
Michigan State University’s annual report finds 125 people died on the job in the state last year. That’s down from 134 the year before.
About a fifth of work-related deaths in Michigan last year involved motor vehicles. Falling objects and falling employees were also leading causes of workplace fatalities.
Homicide was the fourth leading cause of death on the job in Michigan.
Preliminary numbers suggest 2015 could be a bad year for murders in the work place. There have already been 8 workplace homicides in Michigan.
28 were recorded in 2012, a peak year for workplace homicides in Michigan.
MSU researchers suggest employers conduct annual risk-assessments to identify potential fatal risks on the job.
“There are several recommendations that employers can consider to reduce the risk of on-the-job homicides and help prevent them from happening or increasing,” Kenneth Rosenman, the director of MSU's Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, said in a written statement.
Some of the contributing factors involve the exchange of money with the public, working alone or in small numbers, late-night or early-morning shifts, working in high-crime areas, and scenarios involving inadequate indoor and outdoor lighting.
