Officials from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry Research and Analysis Bureau have not confirmed that the state is the deadliest place to work in the nation.

According to U.S. Bureau of Statistics, its figures indicated Montana rose from the fourth deadliest state in 2008 to first in 2009. However, the labor department has said it could not comment on the state being the “deadliest” until its figures are released next month.

Figures from the bureau show there were 50 work-related fatalities in 2009, compared to 40 a year earlier. That’s still lower than the highest year in the decade when there were 58 in 2001. This was the fifth year in the last 10 years in which there were at least 50 deaths. The industry with the highest fatal work injuries was the natural resources and mining category which had 15 fatalities. None, surprisingly, were oil or mining-related. All of them were under agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting which are under the natural resources and mining category. The next highest was construction.

Peggy Coggeshall, Research and Analysis Bureau, attributed the rise in fatalities to a “reduction in work force” since the fall of the economy. She cited the forestry industry which, for instance, went from thousands of workers to hundreds.

Other statistics released conclude 42 (or 84 percent) of the deaths were men. The majority also occurred between the ages of 55-64, followed closely by those 35-44 years. Also, 22 of the fatalities were related to transportation, 13 were due to assaults and violent acts, seven were from contact with objects and three were due to exposure.

Nationally, North Dakota rose to second from third, Wyoming moved from first to third and Alaska dropped to 10th from second.

The bureau based its figures on workers overall while the labor department bases their study on injuries during hours worked.

reporter@sidneyherald.com