Nearly 5 Dozen Workers Perish on the Job in Massachusetts

According to a new report from several Massachusetts agencies, nearly five dozen workers died on the job during the last year in the commonwealth.

The 2012 Dying for Work in Massachusetts: The Loss of Life and Limb in Massachusetts Workplaces report notes that 58 workers died on the job in the commonwealth in 2011; an estimated 580 additional workers died from occupational disease.[WCx]

The report, a collaboration of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) and the Western Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (Western MassCOSH), is unveiled each year to reflect on the workers' lost lives and to "renew our commitment to the fight for safe jobs."

Massachusetts' rate of workplace deaths has fluctuated over the past two decades, with no consistent trends indicating either a gain or drop in occupational fatalities, according to the report. 47 workers died on the job in Massachusetts in 2010 and 62 were deceased in 2009.

"What's most distressing about the findings in Dying for Work is the number of preventable accidents that are claiming the lives of so many hard working men and women every year," according to the report's co-author, Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, executive director of MassCOSH. "More disturbing still is that many of these accidents are similar to the accidents that killed workers the year before, and the year before that."

Among the findings from the report include:

* Thirteen firefighters died in the line of duty.
* Eight workers died on the job in the construction industry.
* Twelve workers died from motor vehicle incidents.
* Falls contributed to the deaths of 12 workers in the commonwealth in 2011, including five in the construction industry.
* Six workers died as the result of workplace violence incidents.
* Nine servicemen from Massachusetts died in the War in Afghanistan in 2011.

In addition to facts and figures, the report also includes portraits of a number of the faces of the fallen workers.[WCx]

Lastly, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, MassCOSH and Western MassCOSH stressed the need for strengthened OSHA regulations, protections for immigrant workers, toxic chemical regulation improvements, comprehensive worksite safety programs and more.

Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk 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. He is an editor and contributor to Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%. Contact: [email protected].

Editor Michael B. Stack, CPA, Director of Operations, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in employer communication systems and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. He is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. Contact: [email protected].

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