The report, which is produced by 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), stressed that workplace fatalities are preventable.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf the 47 families who suffered the pain of losing a loved one at work this year, many have to struggle with the fact that an existing safety regulation could have saved their loved one\u2019s life,\u201d said Robert Haynes, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. \u201cAll an employer had to do was care enough to properly implement it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The report called for strengthened\u00a0OSHA regulations\u00a0<\/a><\/b>and enforcement; increased immigrant worker protections, such as additional bilingual investigators and stronger whistleblower protections; work schedules and staffing arrangements that do not promote workplace injuries or illnesses; comprehensive workplace safety programs; and more.<\/p>\n \u201cOSHA lacks funding, staff and tools to deter violations,\u201d the report stated. \u201cFatal and serious workplace injuries in 2010 continued to occur because Massachusetts employers ignored OSHA regulations and failed to institute basic safety measures. Strong government regulations and enforcement \u2013 including criminal prosecution \u2013 is essential, but often lacking.\u201d<\/p>\n Report Highlights:<\/strong><\/p>\n The 47 fatalities showed a decline compared to the 62 on-the-job deaths that occurred in the commonwealth in 2009. Even so, the report explained that worker deaths in Massachusetts have fluctuated in recent years, and declines in worker deaths typically have been followed by an increase the following year.<\/p>\n \u201cDying for Work in Massachusetts\u201d was released in conjunction with Workers\u2019 Memorial Day on April 28. Download a copy of the report\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n