4,500 U.S. employees killed on job in 2010

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WASHINGTON, April 26 (UPI) -- More than 4,500 U.S. workers died from occupational injuries and approximately 49,000 deaths were attributed to work-related illnesses in 2010, officials say.

In 2010, 4,547 U.S. workers died from occupational injuries and approximately 49,000 deaths were attributed to work-related illnesses, officials say.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported approximately 3.1 million workers in private industry and 820,000 in state and local government had a non-fatal occupational injury or illness.

An estimated 2.7 million workers were treated in emergency departments for occupational injuries and illnesses, and approximately 110,000 were hospitalized, said a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Recent research estimated the cost of fatal U.S. worker injuries at $6 billion and the cost of fatal illnesses at $46 billion, but economists are working to calculate the costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States.

Non-fatal injuries and illnesses were estimated to cost $186 billion and $12 billion annually, a study in the Milbank Quarterly reported.

Workers Memorial Day, set for Saturday, recognizes workers who died or sustained work-related injuries or illnesses.