Forty three years ago, the number of work related deaths in The United States was around 14,000 deaths per year. This was the year the United States Department of Labor decided to do something about it. They had just developed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and through their efforts managed to cut work related deaths down by two thirds. What makes this feat even more astonishing is that the US population has increased by over one hundred million people since then. This is surely a victory for the American people.
But the fight isn’t over.
In the US last year, 12 workers were fatally injured on average every day. The five most common industries for worker deaths were found to be:
- Construction
- Natural Resources and Mining
- Professional & Business Services
- Manufacturing
- Leisure and Hospitality
Clearly many Americans are in danger — these are huge industries. So what can be done to combat this unnerving trend?
One useful tool is the legal protection of informants, introduced in section 11c of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which is intended to protect employees against retaliation by their employers (such as being fired) if they speak out about hazardous conditions and employer negligence concerning employee safety.
Critics, however, argue that this act has not been very effective. It may be of little comfort to those who have lost loved ones to workplace fatalities, but there has been some success for families of these unfortunate people in obtaining compensation by hiring attorneys who specialize in wrongful death cases, such as personal injury lawyers in Frederick MD. If you or someone you know has died as a result of an unsafe work environment or employer negligence, contact Frederick MD personal injury lawyers– or personal injury lawyers in your area– for a free case evaluation.
For some people in the United States, it can be difficult to avoid dangerous work in the face of desperation. It is important to know that you do have options available. Every worker has the right to feel safe on the job, and their families deserve compensation with the assistance of Frederick MD personal injury Lawyers if the worst should happen. Our improvements in worker safety over the past few decades does not stop here.