2016, 2016 USA

USA: AFL-CIO 2016 Death on the Job report Released

A announcement from Peg Seminario, ,Safety and Health Director, AFL-CIO:

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Colleagues:

The AFL-CIO released our annual Death on the Job Report today. This is the 25th year we have produced the report. (The first report was in 1992).

The report is available on the AFL-CIO website, along with infographics of highlights from the report. http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Job-Safety/Death-on-the-Job-Report

The major highlights of the report are:

  • An increase in the number and rate of job fatalities in 2014.
  • The biggest increases were in fatalities among older workers. Workers 65 and older now have a fatality rate 3 times the national average.
  • The number and rate of job fatalities among Latino workers declined in 2014; the numbers and rates for all other races increased.
  • The states with the highest fatality rates were Wyoming, North Dakota, Alaska, South Dakota and Mississippi.
  • Workplace violence remains a serious and persistent problem. Over the years, while the job injury rate has declined; injuries/injury rate due to workplace violence has increased, particularly for workers in healthcare. Women workers suffer 66% of the lost time injuries due to workplace violence.
  • OSHA’s resources are declining and its  capacity to inspect workplaces is getting worse. For FY 2015, federal OSHA could inspect workplaces on average once every 145 years; in 1992 when the first DOTJ report was issued, OSHA could inspect workplaces once every 84 years.
  • OSHA penalties remain low- the median penalty for killing a worker was $7,000 for federal OSHA; $3,5000 for the state plans.
  • Only 89 worker death cases have been criminally prosecuted under the OSHAct since 1971.
  • Workers won a major victory in 2016- the final OSHA silica standard was issued which will prevent more than 600 deaths and prevent nearly 1,000 cases of silicosis a year.
  • There is still much work to do and major challenges ahead as employers and republicans are trying to roll back protections, including the new silica rule, block new protections and cut funding.
  • The nation needs to renew its commitment to protect workers from injury, disease and death and make protecting workers a higher priority.

Lots more in the report itself. So do take a look.

Tomorrow is Workers Memorial Day. There are nearly 100 events being held around the country to remember workers killed and injured on the job and to renew the fight for safe jobs. http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Job-Safety/WorkersMemorialDay  Please do what you can to join and highlight these events and actions and raise your voices demanding safe jobs for all.

Thanks to all who are organizing events and producing reports to highlight the toll or injury, death and disease on workers and their families. Through our collective efforts we are making a difference and improving workers lives.

In Solidarity,

Peg Seminario

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Peg Seminario
Safety and Health Director
AFL-CIO
Tel. 202-637-5366
e-mail: pseminar@aflcio.org