Workers Need More Safety and Health Protection
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Last year job fatalities in the United States increased for the first time in a decade. More than 5,700 workers were killed by job injuries. Another 50,000-60,000 died from occupational diseases, including more than 10,000 deaths from asbestos-related diseases.
Other major safety and health concerns facing workers today include issues of work organization such as:
- Increased hours of work
- Intensification of work due to downsizing
- Increased pace of work
- Other changes in technologies and work processes
Many of these changes have been associated with repetitive strain injuries, stress, workplace violence and even fatalities.
Immigrant workers have a disproportionate rate of injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the workplace largely because they are hired to do the most undesirable and dangerous jobs at the lowest wages. They often do not know what rights they have or what laws protect them, and they receive no training in safety and health.
Language and cultural barriers make it difficult for them to learn their rights and those who lack immigration status are particularly fearful of speaking out. Employers frequently view immigrant workers as disposable and easy to exploit. The increase in fatalities among immigrant workers—particularly Hispanic and Latino workers—has been alarming. Since 1992, the number of fatalities to Hispanic workers has increased by 65 percent, from 508 deaths in 1992 to 840 in 2002. The situation is worse for foreign-born Hispanic workers, with fatal injuries more than doubling from 275 deaths in 1992 to 577 in 2002.
Employers retaliate against thousands of workers each year who have raised job safety concerns or reporting injuries. Workers are fired or harassed simply because they want a safe place to work. OSHA whistle-blower and anti-retaliation provisions are too weak to provide any real protection to workers who try to exercise their legal rights.
Combustible Dust Explosions
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