Deadly workplaces are taking their toll on Americans, according to an academic. The deaths are not only a direct result of workplace accidents but also of stress.
Earlier this year, the Baltimore Sun reported how Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer warned workplace hazards like long hours, no health insurance, a lack of autonomy and high demands are killing people. In a recent interview about his book, “Dying for a Paycheck,” the academic said:
“It’s pretty clear that the human costs — in terms of death — and the economic costs, in terms of elevated healthcare spend, are quite substantial.”
Pfeffer’s book follows an academic paper three years ago that said more than 120,000 deaths a year and up to 8 percent of yearly health care costs are linked to how U.S. companies manage their workforces.
Instead of adding exercise programs, he argued companies need to look more closely at toxic management practices that result in serious health issues. These may include job insecurity, layoffs and long hours.
deadly workplaces impact health
Deadly workplaces are endemic. In some cases, workplaces present physical dangers to employees.
Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal published a list of the 25 most dangerous jobs in America.
Although jobs are not as dangerous now as in the 1960s, there is little evidence that the workplace has become safer in recent years.
In 1970 Congress under President Richard Nixon enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act. That year, more than 14,000 people died in workplace accidents.
Many of the people working in America’s 25 most dangerous jobs face deadly slip and falls, potential contact with dangerous substances or equipment, and even violent altercations.
The most dangerous industry in the United States was revealed to be the hazardous logging industry with 135.9 deaths per 100,000 workers. In 2016, the survey found 91 loggers lost their lives and more than 900 were injured.
Commercial fishing was the second most dangerous industry with 86 deaths for every 100,000 full-time workers in the field.
The third most dangerous job is more prestigious but also stressful. Pilots and flight engineers suffer numerous injuries from overexertion and bodily reaction. Pilots have inconsistent work schedules involving overnight layovers that impact their health. The job can be demanding, and exhaustion is a threat. There were 75 fatal and 470 non-fatal injuries in 2016.
Construction workers, drivers and agricultural workers also made the list of most dangerous professions.
Every year, many workers lose their lives in industrial accidents in Georgia and elsewhere or suffer terrible injuries. If you have been hurt on the job, call our Newnan personal injury attorney at (404) 913-1529.