An average of nearly one worker death occurred each week in Massachusetts in 2010, including five firefighters who died from work-related cancer and heart disease, according to a recently released report from the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupation Safety and Health.
As the Boston Globe reported, Hispanic workers, an increasing population in Massachusetts and the nation, experience workplace deaths at a much greater rate then that of white, non-Hispanic workers. In 2010, 3.5 Hispanic workers passed away on the job per 100,000 versus 1.2 deaths per 100,000 for white, non-Hispanic workers, the two organizations noted. (WCxKit)
What's more, workplace violence continues to be a prime employment hazard, responsible for the deaths of three workers who passed away during the performance of their work in 2010, the report's authors wrote.
The report is titled, "Dying for Work in Massachusetts: The Loss of Life and Limb in Massachusetts Workplaces." And one conclusion of the report is that not enough safety precautions and workplace oversight are costing workers their lives.
Compared to other parts of the nation, Massachusetts is one of the safest states to work in the country, in part due to a high concentration of low-risk injuries, the national AFL-CIO reported. (WCxKit)
Robert Haynes, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, noted, "Of the 47 families who suffered the pain of losing a loved one at work this year, many have to struggle with the fact that an existing safety regulation could have saved their loved ones' life. All an employer had to do was care enough to properly implement it.”
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact:[email protected] or 860-553-6604.
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