In our last post, we discussed the release of the latest “Dirty Dozen” report by COSH, and the shocking truth that some of the most profitable companies in America are also the most dangerous workplaces.
Why is the Workplace so Dangerous?
Why are things getting more dangerous for the American worker? One reason is less safety regulation by the agencies entrusted with overseeing laws, statutes, and federal rules designed to protect workers from harm.
See: Dying on the Job: Highest Number of Work Fatalities in a Decade
Less Funding for Policing of Federal Safety Regulation
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that we have seen a 12% jump in fatal accidents on the job since 2012. During the same time period, financing for the federal agency overseeing workplace safety (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) was cut. OSHA’s budget fell by 12% since 2012.
This means, among other things, that OSHA is forced to operate today with 132 fewer employees. See, Dirty Dozen report page 3. Both OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), another major safety regulatory agency, expect to have additional budget cuts this year.
From Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, co-executive director of COSH:
“We need more resources for research, training and enforcement, not less. Otherwise, employers like the Dirty Dozen get the message that it’s okay to cut corners on workplace safety. It’s not okay– ever – when a worker doesn’t come home to his or her family.”
How bad is it? According to the AFL-CIO, “… OSHA has enough inspectors to inspect workplaces once every 159 years.” See, AFL-CIO, “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, 2017,” April 26, 2017.
April 2018 Report from Workers’ Union AFL-CIO
Alongside COSH, the AFL-CIO released its 2018 report, “Death on the Job, The Toll of Neglect, 2018,” published on April 25, 2018. This is another annual report that has been prepared and published for many years out of concern for the safety of the American worker on the job.
The AFL-CIO shares the following:
- Each day in this country, an average of 14 workers die because of accidents and on-the-job injuries.
- Another 50,000 — 60,000 workers die each year from occupational diseases. Chronic occupational diseases receive less attention because most are not detected for years after workers are exposed to toxic chemicals. Occupational illnesses often are misdiagnosed and poorly tracked.
- All total, on average at least 150 workers die each day due to job injuries and illnesses.
You can download the full AFL-CIO report here.
Changing Regulatory Agency Attitude
In answer to the dilemma of increasing worker fatality dangers, the Union opines that workers will be even more at risk now than ever before. This, the AFL-CIO argues, is because of changes that include the nomination of (1) David Zatezalo, formerly with Rhino Industry Partners, to head the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and (2) Scott Mugno of FedEx Ground, to head OSHA.
From the AFL-CIO report, “Both of these individuals have long experience and involvement with the job safety agencies, and have records of opposing enforcement and regulatory actions.”
The Union suggests that alongside reduced funding for safety regulations, there will be a change in regulatory attitude because of the new White House administration. The regulators will not be as vigilant in pursuing safety for the worker because of their corporate backgrounds and profit-making perspectives.
Who is Most at Risk of a Fatal Job Accident?
From COSH, we know there are three distinct groups of workers with especially high risk factors for fatal jobsite injuries. They are:
Workers Over 55 Years Old
Older workers are reported to have the highest risk of dying on the job since 1992. This age group suffered 36% percent of all U.S. deaths from workplace trauma. See: Accident Victims Over 65 Years Old: Seniors Hurt on the Job
Immigrant Workers
Immigrant workers suffered the highest total of on the job fatalities since 2007. Immigrant workers deaths accounted for 19 % of total U.S. workplace fatalities in 2016.
Statistics may be underreported here, since it is well known for employers to hire immigrants “off the books” and not include them on their official employee rolls. (See, for example, the Dirty Dozen report on the New York and Atlantic Railway.)
Contract Workers
Another group of workers that face jobsite dangers but may not be accurately reported in the fatality statistics are those who are not officially hired by their employers. Contract workers are not official employees of the company on the books. Instead, these are freelancers or independent contractors hired on a job-to-job basis. Accordingly, it is easy for the company to avoid giving the contract workers safety training. It’s not required under the law: they are not an “employee.”
As a result, there has been a 57% jump in contract worker deaths on the job since 2011.
The Biggest Dangers Workers Face on the Job
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, far too many workers die in horrific accidents. These are abrupt events where surrounding workers are shocked at the unexpected tragedy.
Sudden Death in an Accident
Here, the worker dies from things like falling off a scaffold on a construction site; being crushed by a machine on a factory floor; or suffocating in a grain bin. Thousands die each year in these sudden, preventable accidents.
For more, see:
- Steel Mill Workers in Indiana and Illinois: Rising Production and Greater Danger of Injury or Death
- Construction Fall Accidents in Indiana or Illinois: Great Danger of Fatal Injury in a Fall on the Job
- Where Are Workers Most Likely To Die While Working On The Job In Illinois And Indiana?
Death from Illness Caused by the Job Site
Workers die from other serious risks on the job, too. These are also preventable accidents, but they are not sudden or quick. Here, the employee is exposed to toxins or hazards that result in illness.
The worker can die from cancer, as well as a variety of respiratory illnesses or circulatory system conditions. These, too, are deaths that can and should be prevented by company safety protocols.
Asbestos
Mesothelioma, of course, is a well-known fatal occupational exposure risk facing many American workers. For more on the three forms of “asbestos cancer,” or mesothelioma visit our page dedicated to this fatal occupational illness facing so many workers.
Sadly, there are many others.
Food Additive Chemicals
The Dirty Dozen report gives as an example of the growing danger of employees being exposed to chemicals used to flavor foods like candy, baked goods, and popcorn.
Citing an expose by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the report explains that a food additive called “diacetyl” can cause severe lung damage and has been linked to at least five deaths. Similar chemical exposure risks facing employees are workers exposed to the food additive compounds acetyl propionyl, acetyl butyryl, and acetyl valeryl.
For everyone working here in Indiana and Illinois, it is important to be aware that there is a rising danger of fatal job injuries to all employees because of decreasing job site safety protections.
This is especially true for those working in dangerous industries here, as well as those in the high risk groups (older workers, immigrants, contract workers).
Fatal job injuries are entirely preventable. While there are laws in place to provide justice for the grieving loved ones of a deceased worker in Indiana and Illinois, there should be better safety regulations in effect to protect workers on the job. Please be careful out there!
