Michigan's construction workers are working safer.

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Consumer and Industry Services reports that seven construction workers in our state lost their lives on the job during the first six months of 2002.

Those are still seven deaths too many - but the low number compared to past years represents a remarkable decrease in on-the-job fatalities.

Throughout all of 2001, 28 construction workers were killed on the job. There were 34 construction worker fatalities in 1997 - the highest single-year toll in recent years.

"You look at the numbers and people say there were only seven fatalities, but no one should say 'only', because we're talking about people's lives here," said one of our sources within MIOSHA. "I think a lot of it has a lot to do with the economy slowing down, so the fatalities are coming down. Be careful when you talk about numbers over a relatively short period. There are seven today, but in this business, you don't know what might happen tomorrow."