AFL-CIO Death on the Job Report Shows U.S. Workplaces Still Too Unsafe
Monday, April 23, 2007
Media Advisory for
Wednesday, April 25
Contact: Alison Omens 202-637-5018
AFL-CIO Death on the Job Report Shows U.S. Workplaces Still Too Unsafe
Workers Memorial Day Commemorates Workers Killed and Injured on the Job and Highlights "Unfulfilled Promise" of Worker Safety
The nation's workplace safety laws are too weak to effectively protect the nation's workers, according to the AFL-CIO's annual Death on the Job report, which will be released on Wednesday, April 25. The report identifies how many people lost their lives and were injured at workplaces in the past year and provides in-depth state analysis on workplace safety.
Wyoming, Montana, and Mississippi had the highest rates of worker fatalities in the last year while Rhode Island and Vermont had the best record of workplace safety.
The release of the report coincides with Workers Memorial Day, April 28th, which commemorates workers who died or were injured in the past year. As part of the day of remembrance, community and union members from around the world will participate in hundreds of events to remember local workers and draw attention to the "unfulfilled promise" of worker safety. (See attached list).
"Since the Bush Administration took office, they've chipped away at the safety protections in place and opposed new measures to ensure safer workplaces," said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. "The issue of worker safety is too important to be on the back burner." Also for the week of Workers Memorial Day, two hearings will be held in Congress to investigate current job safety protections in the United States. On Tuesday, April 24th, the House of Representatives will investigate if OSHA standards are keeping up with workplace hazards. On Thursday, April 26th, the Senate will hold a hearing on the state of workplace safety and health protections. Peg Seminario, the Director of Safety and Health at the AFL-CIO will testify before the Senate committee, arguing that enforceable safety regulations are crucial to protecting today's workforce. The hearing will take place in room 628 at Dirksen Senate Office Building at 10:00 am.
In 2005, 4.2 million workers were injured and 5,734 workers were killed due to job hazards. Another 50,000-60,000 died due to occupational diseases. On an average day, 152 workers lose their lives as a result of workplace injuries and disease, and another 11,507 injured.
Contact: Alison Omens 202-637-5018
AFL-CIO Death on the Job Report Shows U.S. Workplaces Still Too Unsafe
Workers Memorial Day Commemorates Workers Killed and Injured on the Job and Highlights "Unfulfilled Promise" of Worker Safety
The nation's workplace safety laws are too weak to effectively protect the nation's workers, according to the AFL-CIO's annual Death on the Job report, which will be released on Wednesday, April 25. The report identifies how many people lost their lives and were injured at workplaces in the past year and provides in-depth state analysis on workplace safety.
Wyoming, Montana, and Mississippi had the highest rates of worker fatalities in the last year while Rhode Island and Vermont had the best record of workplace safety.
The release of the report coincides with Workers Memorial Day, April 28th, which commemorates workers who died or were injured in the past year. As part of the day of remembrance, community and union members from around the world will participate in hundreds of events to remember local workers and draw attention to the "unfulfilled promise" of worker safety. (See attached list).
"Since the Bush Administration took office, they've chipped away at the safety protections in place and opposed new measures to ensure safer workplaces," said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. "The issue of worker safety is too important to be on the back burner." Also for the week of Workers Memorial Day, two hearings will be held in Congress to investigate current job safety protections in the United States. On Tuesday, April 24th, the House of Representatives will investigate if OSHA standards are keeping up with workplace hazards. On Thursday, April 26th, the Senate will hold a hearing on the state of workplace safety and health protections. Peg Seminario, the Director of Safety and Health at the AFL-CIO will testify before the Senate committee, arguing that enforceable safety regulations are crucial to protecting today's workforce. The hearing will take place in room 628 at Dirksen Senate Office Building at 10:00 am.
In 2005, 4.2 million workers were injured and 5,734 workers were killed due to job hazards. Another 50,000-60,000 died due to occupational diseases. On an average day, 152 workers lose their lives as a result of workplace injuries and disease, and another 11,507 injured.
The report shows that workplace fatalities have increased since 2004 for Latino and immigrant workers, who face substantially higher risks of fatality. In 2005, the fatal injury rate for all workers was 4/100,000 workers, as compared to a rate of 4.9 for Latino workers. Since 1992, the number of fatalities among Latino workers has increased by 73 percent from 533 fatalities in 1992 to 923 deaths in 2005. Among foreign-born workers, job fatalities have increased by 63 percent, from 635 to 1,035 deaths.
A recently released International Labor Organization report recommends a labor inspector for each 10,000 workers in industrialized countries. In the United States, there are only 2,112 OSHA inspectors (818 federal and 1,294 state inspectors) for the approximately 130 million workers in the United States today-one inspector for every 63,670 workers.
For embargoed copies of the 2007 report on workplace safety nationwide, contact the AFL-CIO Media Outreach Department at 202-637-5018. After April 25, go to http://www.aflcio.org/issues/safety/memorial/.
2007 Workers Memorial Day Events
(Below is a partial list of events)
ALABAMA Tuscaloosa
CONNECTICUT Bridgeport, Groton
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
GEORGIA Macon
ILLINOIS Chicago, Peoria, Rockford
INDIANA Evansville
IOWA Des Moines, Waterloo
KENTUCKY Henderson, Paducah
LOUISIANA New Orleans
MARYLAND Cumberland, Silver Spring
MICHIGAN Grand Rapids, Saginaw
MINNESOTA Apple Valley, Rochester
MISSOURI St. Louis
NEW YORK Albany, Corning, Long Island, New York City, Rochester, White Plains
OHIO Canton, Columbus, Doylestown, Findley
OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City
OREGON Salem
PENNSYLVANIA Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, York
WASHINGTON Spokane
WEST VIRGINIA Buckhannon