Workplace deaths dropped 24 percent last year in California, from 537 people in 2006 to 407.
Much of the decline came in the construction trades, where a slowing economy cut into both employment and dangerous work. But state officials also credited their efforts to stress safety through education and enforcement. This past year’s number was the lowest in the state for at least 12 years. In California, transportation accidents remained the most frequent type of fatal injury, followed by violence and falls.