Work Injury Death Rates Higher for Hispanics
According to a report released earlier this month by the CDC, Hispanic workers are more likely to suffer a work injury death than other racial groups in the United States. The health officials indicate that reducing the number of on-the-job deaths among Hispanics will require safer work environments, better safety information and the development of additional materials that are effective for workers who speak different languages and have different levels of literacy.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed data from death certificates, workers compensation claims, medical examiner reports and police reports as part of an article published June 6, 2008 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Between 1992 and 2006, there were 11,303 work injury deaths among Hispanics, which accounts for 13% of the total number of work deaths during these years. The states with the highest number of fatal work injuries among Hispanics were California, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Georgia and Tennessee.
Hispanic workers are the fastest growing segment of workers in the United States. In 2006, reports indicate that there were 19.6 million Hispanic workers in the United States, with 56% of them foreign born. About 95% of the work related deaths for the Hispanic population involved males, and 34% of the deaths between 2003 and 2006 involved those working in the construction industry.
Researchers suggested that much of the increased risk of death among Hispanic workers could be attributed to holding high-risk jobs, such as construction, waste services, agriculture, transportation and warehouse work. However, even when compared to non-Hispanic workers in the construction industry, Hispanics were found to have a higher work related injury death rate.
The CDC released this disturbing report in hopes of educating employers as to the severity of the situation and in an attempt to effectuate change in training and hiring procedures which might help reduce these statistics. Language barriers of Hispanic workers is reported as the number one reason for the increase in work-related deaths as workers are often limited in their selection of occupations and may be unable to fully understand direction or job training from their employer.
WORKERS COMPENSATION DEATH CLAIMS
When an injury is suffered on the job that results in death or injury, financial compensation may be available through a workers compensation claim. The workers compensation lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. represent injured workers in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and Pennsylvania. To review a potential claim, request a free consultation.
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