On Workers' Memorial Day, it's important to remember the workplace is a dangerous place for many:
Today is Workers’ Memorial Day, a time to remember and honor our fallen brothers and sisters in the labor movement all across the globe.
But while technological advancements should be making the workplace safer, deaths and injuries on the job are still a major concern.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reported that 4,679 workers were fatally injured on the job in 2014, up two percent from the previous year. The numbers were particularly grim for the workforce’s oldest participants, who saw fatalities rise by nine percent. The 1,621 recorded deaths for those 55 and over is the highest since the agency began tracking such numbers in 1992.
Meanwhile, a report issued last month by the DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) made it clear that severe injuries while at work are also a significant problem.
Employers reported more than 10,000 severe work-related injuries in 2015, resulting in 2,644 amputations and 7,636 hospitalizations.
Among the top industries reporting severe injuries were in the food processing, warehousing and storage and general freight trucking sectors, all of which have a significant Teamster presence.
Read the full article below:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-p-hoffa/workplace-safety-is-still_b_9794064.html