AFL-CIO ‘Death on the Job’ Report: 5,214 Killed at Work in 2008

http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/04/27/afl-cio-death-on-the-job-report-5214-killed-at-work-in-2008/

by Mike Hall, Apr 27, 2010



Each workday, it’s likely that 14 workers won’t come home because they will be killed on the job, according to the most recent statistics. The AFL-CIO’s 19th annual workplace safety report, “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect,” also reports that in 2008, along with the 5,214, workers killed, another 50,000 workers died from occupational diseases, while at least 4.6 million workers were reported injured, unreported injuries could push that total to as many as 14 million workers.

Released on the eve of Workers Memorial Day (more below) and on the heels of four recent workplace tragedies that have claimed the lives of at least 42 workers, the report depicts workplace safety and health laws that are far too weak to protect workers and penalties far too lenient to deter employers.

Pointing to the 29 coal miners killed at Massey Energy Co.’s Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia, the seven workers killed at the Tesoro refinery in Washington State, the six victims at the Kleen Energy Systems plant in Connecticut and the 11 oil platform workers who are presumed dead following an explosion of the Transocean Ltd. rig in the Gulf of Mexico, Peg Seminario, AFL-CIO Safety and Health director, told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee this afternoon:

The vast majority of workplace deaths and injuries could be prevented if protective safety and health measures were followed. But the fact is that for too many employers, the safety of workers is secondary, taking a back seat to production. For some employers, there is a total and blatant disregard for workers. Worker safety requirements and other worker protections are totally ignored.

We’ll have more on the Senate testimony by Seminario and by Mine Workers (UMWA) President Cecil Roberts tomorrow.

“Death on the Job” also reports that Latino workers are most in danger of dying at the workplace. In 2008, the fatality rate among these workers was 4.2 per 100,000 workers, 13.5 percent higher than the fatal injury rate for all U.S. workers.

FULL story at link.