Labor report shows drop in Hispanic worker fatalities

Labor report shows drop in Hispanic worker fatalities, rising deaths in construction and oil and gas industries.

Preliminary results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries show that the rate of fatal work injuries in 2014 was unchanged from 2013, at about 3 per 100,000 full-time workers, but the total number of fatalities grew, reflecting an overall increase in employment. According to the data, 789 Hispanic workers died on the job in 2014, down from 817 in 2013. Meanwhile, the number of fatalities grew in the construction industry and the oil and gas extraction industry. OSHA continues extensive outreach and strong enforcement campaigns in both industries to counter these trends. In a statement on the BLS report, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez said, "Far too many people are still killed on the job — 13 workers every day taken from their families tragically and unnecessarily. These numbers underscore the urgent need for employers to provide a safe workplace for their employees as the law requires."