WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Fifty workers died from injuries on the job in Massachusetts
last year.
That's according to a report released Tuesday by the
Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupation Safety and
Health.
Transportation workers — including taxi, bus and truck
drivers — suffered a high number of fatalities, with nine on-the-job deaths
last year.
Firefighters also suffered heavy losses. Two died fighting a
Back Bay fire in Boston and 10 more died from occupational illnesses.
Workplace homicides claimed three workers in 2014 and another
three in the first three months of 2015.
Falls from heights were among the most common cause of
worker fatalities, accounting for nine deaths.
The report says the average fine assessed to an employer
with OSHA violations resulting in the death of a worker was $12,900.
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April 28, 2015
On July 23, 2014, Jason Faria, a 26-year-old Fall River
native was working for Diaz Construction Co., a concrete company, on top of a
concrete form that was incorrectly attached. The form came loose and fell,
crushing him underneath. Faria died on site from his injuries just 3 days
before his 27th birthday. He was one of the 50 individuals who lost their lives
last year because of work. Click
here to download the report*
Today, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts
Coalition for Occupation Safety and Health (MassCOSH) released Dying for Work
in Massachusetts: The Loss of Life and Limb in Massachusetts Workplaces, a new
report documenting the loss of life taking place at worksites across
Massachusetts. The 27-page report details how workers like Faria lost their
lives on the job in 2014 as well as what must be done to keep workers safe.
Dying for Work also finds that the federal Occupational Safety & Health
Administration (OSHA) is underfunded and that monetary penalties for violations
of the Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSH) Act have been increased only
once in 40 years despite inflation. As a result, the fines available under the
OSH Act are inadequate to deter employers from creating unsafe jobs.
The report also highlights several additional concerning statistics, including:
Transportation workers, including taxi, bus and truck
drivers, suffered the highest number of fatalities, with nine on-the-job
deaths, 23% of all fatal injuries;
Falls from heights were among the most common cause of
worker deaths, accounting for nine deaths;
Firefighters suffered heavy losses this year, with two men
dying while fighting a Back Bay fire and 10 more passing away from occupational
illnesses, a lesser known cause of death for this profession;
Workplace homicides continue to claim workers regardless of profession,
with three workers murdered in 2014 and another three in the first three months
of 2015;
In 2013 (the most recent data available) there were 78,000
cases of non-fatal injuries and illnesses in the state;
The average fine assessed to an employer with OSHA
violations resulting in the death of a worker was just $12,900.
“What’s so disheartening about this report is that unsafe
jobs are taking, on average, the life of one worker nearly every week,” said
Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, Executive Director of MassCOSH. “That means every week, a
family is reeling from the loss of a loved one and co-workers are traumatized
after witnessing a death. Given that nearly all these fatalities were
preventable, we urgently need to step up enforcement to deter employers from
putting workers’ lives at risk.”
“The names and faces change from year to year, but we see so many of the same
tragic circumstances that lead to preventable workplace deaths every year,”
added Steven Tolman, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. “It shows that our
fight for safer workplaces is far from over.”
The release of Dying for Work in Massachusetts coincides with Workers’ Memorial
Day, an event observed around the world every year on April 28 to remember
workers killed and injured on the job. In Massachusetts, Workers’ Memorial Day
was commemorated on the steps of the State House at noon and was observed by
slain workers’ family members, union representatives, safety experts, and state
officials.
"Workers’ Memorial Day serves as a somber reminder for the need for
stronger occupational safety and health standards at the national and state
level," said Rich Rogers, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Greater
Boston Labor Council.
The report uncovers a wide range of measures that would
avert the needless loss of life and limb, including:
Strengthen the ability of federal OSHA and the state
Department of Labor to deter employer violations by providing sufficient
funding and penalties;
Enact laws that hold employers responsible for their subcontracted
and temporary workers;
Extend safety and health protections to public employees
that are at least as protective as federal OSHA standards.
*After printing, the International Association of Fire Fighters updated their
Line of Duty Deaths database to include the late Thomas O'Reilly, 62, of
Framingham who died in July 2014 of occupational-related pancreatic cancer.
