BLS Stats Skewed To Underreport Refinery Deaths, Injuries

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"Long considered one of the nation's most dangerous industries, oil refining suddenly seemed one of the safest when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported no refinery deaths in 2002 or 2003. But at least nine people were asphyxiated, burned or fell to their deaths at our nation's refineries during those years, according to a Houston Chronicle review of media accounts, industry statistics and fatal accident reports to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Twenty more have died since then — 15 in the March 23 BP Texas City accident alone.

How do the refinery dead disappear?

The answer is fairly simple. Increasingly, the accuracy of government safety statistics is undermined by the changing work force. These days, up to half of refinery workers are contractors, who generally get some of the most dangerous jobs. Since these folks do not work directly for petroleum companies — even though some toil for years at the same refinery — their deaths get diverted to several catch-all construction or maintenance categories, such as "1799, Special Trade Contractors, Not Elsewhere Classified."

"They'll show up in the statistics but not as refinery workers," explained retired Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) economist Guy Toscano. "The more dangerous an occupation, the less likely a company would want to hire those people directly — they want to boost their own safety rates and decrease their liability."

EDIT

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3183356

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1. The 'independent contractor' label is being used to exploit workers...

...all over the board nowdays, not just in refineries.

For example, I see a lot of cases where employers will bring on 'independent contractors' in order to pay them less than minimum wage, avoid contributing to FICA, avoid Worker's Comp, etc...

I think a re-appraisal of what an independent contractor IS according to the law should be done.

For example, I'd say that if an employer has the right to tell you when you take your lunch, or for how long you take for lunch, then you shouldn't be considered an independent contractor -- you are an employee.