Workplace shootings get all the news coverage, but more workers are killed in highway crashes than any other way.

Nationally, of the 5,488 people who were killed on the job, 1,311 of them died in highway accidents. In Pennsylvania, 64, or 29 percent of the 220 people who died while on the clock, were killed in highway accidents. Twice as many people were killed on the job in traffic accidents as the 32 people who were victims of homicide at work, according to statistics released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In all, 27 drivers of heavy trucks died in accidents in the state last year, but it was a category of work-related deaths that crossed occupations. Salesmen, construction workers, administrative office workers and farm workers also were killed in highway accidents.

Among the victims of homicide, the industry that had the highest representation of workplace shootings were workers in retail, which had seven homicides.

Pennsylvania saw an 8 percent decrease in fatal work injuries in 2007 from the 240 that occurred in 2006. The year with the highest workplace fatality rate in the state was 1994, when USAir Flight 427 crashed in Hopewell. That year 354 died while at work, including 101 of the 132 people on that flight. The statistics for 2001, in which 225 people died at work, do not include the passengers of Flight 93 who were killed on Sept. 11 of that year in terrorist attacks. In 2002, the state recorded the lowest level of workplace fatalities with 188.

Two-thirds of the workplace injuries were in four categories: highway crashes, homicides, falls to a lower level (29 deaths) and being struck by objects or equipment (22 deaths).

Men accounted for 93 percent of the workplace deaths with 204 victims. Sixteen women were killed at work. Of the women who died at work, 11 were killed in traffic accidents and four died because of workplace violence.