Texas workers more likely to die than counterparts elsewhere
Texas leaders crowed Friday about the state’s latest job-growth statistics. “The Texas economic engine is strong,” Workforce Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar said.
But growth isn’t the whole story.
More workers die here than in any other state. On average, a Texas worker is 12 percent more likely to be killed on the job than someone doing the same job elsewhere, according to a Dallas Morning News analysis of federal data.
That translates to about 580 excess workplace deaths over a decade.
Construction has contributed mightily to Texas’ booming economy. And the state’s construction sites are 22 percent deadlier than the national average.
Forty percent of Texas’ excess death toll was among roofers, electricians and others in specialty construction trades. Such workers are sometimes treated as independent contractors, leaving them responsible for their own safety equipment and training. Many are undocumented immigrants.
Government and industry here have invested relatively little in safety equipment, training and inspections, researchers say. And Texas is one of the toughest places to organize unions, which can promote safety.
http://res.dallasnews.com/interactives/2014_workplace/
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