(Undated) – One-hundred twenty-two people died while on the job in Indiana in 2011, according to a report from the Indiana Department of Labor.

Although the number is one of the lowest recorded since 1991, the agency said the preliminary figure listed in the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries is up from 118 fatalities in the workplace in 2010.

“This three percent increase in workplace fatalities is disappointing and strongly suggests that we have much more work to do in the area of workplace safety at all levels, including government, businesses, and employees alike,” said Lori A. Torres, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Labor. “The Department of Labor continues to focus on our highest priority – the safety of Hoosiers in the workplace, and we charge all employers and employees to rededicate their efforts to employee safety.”

The report lists the riskiest jobs are in transportation, where exactly half of last year’s fatalities occurred. Those occupations include driving commercial vehicles, automobiles, fork trucks and construction equipment. Thirty-six of the deaths, or 30 percent, were highway motor vehicle crashes.

Other key findings in the Department of Labor report:

Agriculture and mining saw a drop of thirty-three percent in fatalities in 2011, from 24 in 2010 to 16 in 2011.

Manufacturing fatalities also decreased in 2011, from 14 in 2010 to 13 in 2011.

A major challenge is identified in the trucking industry. Truck transportation fatalities increased by 54 percent, from 13 in 2010 to 20 in 2011.

Conversely, the Healthcare and Social Services and Educational Services sectors combined saw only one death from work injuries in 2011, compared to 14 total fatalities in 2010.

Violent Acts account for 17 deaths in 2011 and it is now the third largest category.

The full report can be found online at www.in.gov/dol/2439.htm. A survey pertaining to non-fatal occupational injuries and illness for 2011 is scheduled for release in October.