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AFL-CIO ‘Death on the Job’ Report: 5,214 Killed at Work in 2008
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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.
When workers are killed on the job, the report notes that employers face “incredibly weak penalties.” The median penalty in 2009 was just $5,000 in fatality cases investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). In 2009, when an employer was cited for a serious safety violation, the average OSHA penalty was just $965.
In addition, the report says OSHA’s inspector workforce is “woefully inadequate,” with just 2,218 inspectors to monitor the 8 million workplaces that fall under OSHA’s jurisdictions. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says, “There is no question that eight years of neglect and inaction by the Bush administration”
seriously eroded safety and health protections, and put workers’ lives in danger.
In those eight year, according to “Death on the Job,” safety and health standards were repealed, withdrawn and blocked. The job safety budget was cut and blocked. Voluntary employer compliance replaced strong enforcement. And the report adds:
In the absence of strong government oversight and enforcement, many employers cut back their workplace safety and health efforts.
Since the Obama administration took office, OSHA and MSHA are “returning to their mission to protect workers’ safety and health.” It notes that strong advocates have been appointed to head the agencies, workplace safety standards that had been stalled under the Bush administration are moving forward and the job safety budget has been increased and more inspectors hired.
But ”job safety laws must be strengthened,” including giving MSHA more authority to shut down dangerous mines and to enhance enforcement against repeated violators. The report urges passage of the Protecting America’s Workers Act, which would:
- Extend the law’s coverage to workers currently excluded;
- Strengthen civil and criminal penalties for violations;
- Enhance anti-discrimination protections; and
- Strengthen the rights of workers, unions and victims.
Click here to download the full “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect.”
Tomorrow, among the hundreds of Workers Memorial Day events honoring those killed on the job and calling for strong new workplace safety standards, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler will speak at the dedication of the National Labor College’s (NLC‘s) recently completed Workers Memorial. She will be joined by OSHA administrator David Michaels and the UMWA’s Roberts.
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11 Comments
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To My Brothers and Sisters who still live
When the Roll is called up yonder,
Of all the workers who have died.
Will my name be among them?
So my heart will fill with pride.
I am a Union Member in life and when I am Dead;
So every April 28 I want to hear my name be read.
I died because of the job, so remember me by name.
Correct the unsafe condition; I do not want the Fame.
I was proud of being union all the time I was alive.
I want to stay union even if my body won’t survive.
Let my death be an example to those who still live.
Be Safe and Healthy is the message I would give.
We just came to work here we didn’t come here to die.
With Solidarity in my heart I will never say Good-bye.
Thousand of us each year meet this tragic fate.
Safety first, last and always before it is to Late!
David Hurlburt CWA Local 9410
This is dedicated to all who have died because of the job; however this week I must dedicate this to my CWA brother Kevin James electrocuted in Detroit on April 22. Osha is investigating
I LOVE YOUR POEM. MY HUSBAND DIED 2 YEARS AGO , FROM CANCER. HE WAS A CLC PRESIDENT IN KINGSLAND ,GA.WORKERS MEMORIAL WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO HIM.HE HAD ONE EVERY YEAR. HE REALLY CARED ABOUT THE WORKERS WHO DIED AT WORK.WE DO NOT KNOW IF HIS CANCER WAS FROM WORK. IM SO GLAD WE SHARED THE WORKERS MEMORIAL I NEVER MISSED ONE. THANK YOU
half of these are due to employee carelessness
Which state leads the nation in occupational deaths and injuries?
At one time Texas was the worst. My guess not much has changed!
Let us not say “Blame Bush”. Let us say “what is Obama doing?” What good is it beating a dead horse?
I know you won’t actually post my comment, but I have to make it anyway. So where are the Unions? Why aren’t they screaming about this? The national AFL-CIO has two (count “em) positions devoted to safety and health. Some of the COSH groups do get great support from their local unions, but many of them can’t get the time of day from the guys with the fancy titles and offices at the union HQ.
IMO, many of the labor leaders should be put on trial right along with the corporate bosses who don’t give a damn about killing their workers.
Remember Unions are the one’s that started work place safety and every one knows that, and if not for the unions we wopuldn’t be even close to the safety standards we have today and they continue fighting for a safe work place.
Another reason for the Employee Free Choice Act
I keep thinking about how the French unions shut down the country when the government made some relatively trivial move against workers. The government backed down. Methinks we need more union leaders with some balls. 60,000 + dead every year? And we put up with this??
It’s a shame that Workers Memorial Day is not a Federal holiday. yours in solidarity, Jim Kerner jkerner0214@optonline.net TWU Local 225.
BTW, thank you, moderator, for posting my previousl note.
Thank You: David Hurlburt, Buzzard Woman, Griff and unionman14 for your thoughtful comments and imput.
I particularly like your point about the french unions (Buzzard Woman on 29.04.2010 at 11:27)
It’s interesting, the right wing morons spin of France being dissatisfied with it’s system and want to instead have one like ours (you know with unemployment @ 20%, 40,000,000 children living in poverty, 1/3 of the homeless poulation being veterens of foriegn wars, 1% of the U.S. population controling 98% of it’s wealth…you know things like that…that’s what France wants…)
Of course people who aren’t dillusional psycopaths know that the the French rallies are really that big and that frequent because they want to make absolutely sure that the government and the corporations have some idea who’s boss and a small idea of the amount of people they would deal with if if they try to pull something. THAT is what they want, not some “free market” (not fair market) plutocracy-reaganomics system.