According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, “A total of 4836 workers died from an occupational injury in 2015. The number reached the highest count since 2008” (CFOI). The focus of this research was on private industries from the year 2011-2015 as private sectors consistently accounted for over 89% of all fatal accidents over this period. The three industries with the highest fatality count from 2011-2015, in descending order, were construction, transportation, and agriculture. Several possible major causes for the high fatality count in each industry and recommended actions are discussed below. Private construction had the highest number of fatal work injuries across all industries as it represented nearly 20% of the total fatality count in …show more content…
More fatal injuries in construction resulted from slips, falls, and trips than from any other events from 2011-2015, which implied that the lack of appropriate employee training might be another cause of the high fatality count. One example was when a worker lost his footing when climbing down a 400-foot telecommunication tower, the ladder safety device did not activate to stop the employee’s fall, he plunged 90 feet to his death (USDoL). The causes of his death were inadequate training on the ladder safety device he used and the defective safety sleeve that failed to save him when he fell. Another example, four construction workers were killed when the north-east side of a parking garage under construction collapsed. OSHA issued citations to the five construction firms involved in the project for “failing to provide workers a workplace free from recognized hazards causing or likely to cause deaths or serious physical harms.” With a total of 765 fatal injuries, the transportation and warehousing industry represented 15.82% of the total number of fatal injuries in 2015 (CFOI). The fatality count in the transportation industry rose from 749 in 2011 to 765 in 2015 (CFOI). Bureau of Labor Statistics shared that, “Roadway incidents have consistently accounted for the greatest share of
There has been many occasions where workers have either died or gotten hurt. From reading our book, Chew on This, we heard of tons of deaths and injuries. A few examples are, “Employee’s getting arms caught in meat grinder.” Dead. “Employee’s neck caught in flying blade.” Dead. “Employee caught in Gut Cooker.” Dead. All of these accidents have something in common. They all have died. Not only are these factories disgusting, they’re also dangerous and deadly.
It is alarming to know that each year there are over 4,500 scaffold injuries and 65 deaths (Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA], 2016). In addition, there is a high risk for construction workers to be struck from objects falling off scaffolds. With these facts in mind, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission’s (OSHRC) 2013 case of the Secretary of Labor v Performance Contracting, Inc. (PCI) raises questions as to why violations of OSHA’s scaffold standards are sometimes considered “other-than serious.” Understanding that OSHA gives the Secretary of Labor the tasks of rulemaking and enforcement of its rules, it also gives the task of carrying out the legal process to the commission which both parties accepted, as well as PCI “engaging as a business affecting interstate commerce” (Secretary of Labor v. PCI, 2013, pp. 2-3). Knowledge of the case’s background, parties involved, arguments presented, cases used to reach a verdict, and final ruling provide insight to the penalties assessed, significance, and personal opinion.
Some jobs are far more dangerous than others. That is why occupational injuries are extremely common. Head, back and neck injuries, eye injuries, heart attacks, strokes, scarring and disfigurement are examples of some of the most
The impact of workplace injury is wide reaching because when hazards of physical and psychological type affect a worker, the impact is not only on the person, but also on the life, the family and of course on the future plans,as well as high
According to a study conducted by the University of California and Harvard University confirming that OSHA’s inspections prevented workers from getting hurt on the job and saved billions for employers through reduced workers’ compensation costs. The study, “Randomized Government Safety Inspections Reduce Workers Injuries with No Detectable Job Loss,” reported that workplace injuries claims dropped 9.4 percent at businesses in the four years following a randomized OSHA inspection,
Management in healthcare institutions obtains presentations that pertain to workers’ injuries and illness costs. The figures acquire adequate support from the management provided that the data cites credible and the right references. However, researchers lack adequate hard data and research backing to defend direct and indirect cost ratios that they frequently utilize in relation to the safety-related literature.
When looking at injury, there are two particular groups who tend to be at a higher risk. One being people living in rural and remote areas and the other being people who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. A large proportion of injury cases come from people living in rural or remote areas. This may be because of the jobs that usually come with
On August 26, 2015 two workers, employees of Mortenson Construction’s subcontractor St. Paul-based Berwald Roofing Co. were working on a conventional installation of a solid roof on the roof of the Vikings Stadium in Minesota when both of them fell and slid down the roof. One hit one elevated platform about 50 feet below from the edge of the roof and died. The other struck a post and stopped he was seriously injured. He received 48 stitches for a deep cut to his leg. Details weren’t given about whether the workers were wearing safety harnesses or whether there was supervision. The company already had received several worksite citations for serious violations during inspections in the past five
Many employees have stated that their workplace environments are harmful and unsafe. Employee fatigue, long working hours and the hiring of inexperienced labor have not only led to hundreds of injuries over the last decade but also hundreds of deaths. The Texas City, Texas plant is just one of many in which such “life or death” occurrences have impacted the safety of employees. In 2005 an explosion that killed 15 people has been said to have occurred due to employee fatigue after being forced to work long hours that ultimately contributed to employees making bad decisions.
It is understood that manual workers endure more work related injuries than non-manual workers. Recent studies to support this claim come from Clapp et al (2005) who indicate that a probable 12 of cancer deaths are workplace related, also, Meldrumm (2005) found that working conditions cause up to 20 of lung cancer deaths (Holborn, Burrage and Langley, 2009).
According to the Bureau of Labor, statistics indicate that more than 4.1 million people were hurt or injured on-the-job in 2006 and 5,488 were killed in 2007 (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2010, p. 511). Laws and regulatory requirements are currently in place to standardize and promote workplace safety. Organizations with extensive safety programs have reduced number of accidents, decreased workers’ compensation claims and lawsuits and lesser accident-related expenditures (Gomez-Mejia, et al, 2010, p. 511). This paper discusses the effects of legal, safety and regulatory requirements in
Background This memorandum serves to inform the effort to aide in the use of police body cameras. There has been a major rise in the amount of attention police brutality has been receiving. With social media and the ability to change captions as well as clip videos, it has become alarming the amount of backlash police officers are receiving. Protecting the life of a police officer as well as our citizens should be our first priority.
In the United States, construction has always been one of the most dangerous industries to work in. The number of fatalities that occur in this industry year after year demonstrate this. In 2014, 19.6% of worker fatalities, in private industry, were in construction (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015) despite the industry comprising only 6.8% of the total work force. This epidemic is not unique to the United States. Essentially every country faces similar problems regarding construction safety. For example, in 2004 the Australian construction industry employed approximately 8% of the countries workforce. However, workers compensation statistics indicated that the industry’s incidence rate was 28.6 per 1000 employees,
Furthermore, the rate of on the job accidents and injuries is likely to increase due to the use of alcohol. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, between 10 and 20 percent of workers who die on the job test positive for alcohol or other drugs, and cites construction, mining, and manufacturing – some of the industries which are already at a high risk for occupational
Despite undeniable efforts investing in safety and health within the workplace, occupational accidents continue to account for injuries and deaths every year (Cadieux et al, 2006). In Quebec alone in the year of 2004, 176 deaths and 128,104 occupational injuries were registered by the National OHS board (Cadieux et al, 2006). In order to improve these rates worldwide, Occupational Health and Safety Management systems are developed and implemented in the workplace.