Grim Stat: Hispanics Jobsite Death Rate Continues to Climb
Hispanic workers die at higher rates than other laborers, with one of three deaths occurring in the construction industry, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thirty-four percent of Hispanic worker fatalities occurred in the construction industry 2003-06, with highway accidents and jobsite falls as the leading causes of death. Work-related falls increased approximately 370% from 1992 to 2006. Hispanics exceeded the annual injury fatality rate for all U.S. workers every year from 1992-2006, with the exception of 1995.
Hispanic workers' growing presence in the workplace has likely led to a communications and training disconnect, making workplace conditions more treacherous than in other states, the report says. Employers may have had a hard time training an increasingly Spanish-speaking work force, it adds.