Thursday, June 5, 2008

Hispanic workers face a greater risk of dying from work-related injuries, with one in three deaths occurring in the construction industry

Between 1992 and 2006, 11,303 Hispanic workers died from work-related injuries. This represents approximately 13% of all work-related deaths in the United States during that time, a higher rate than for white or black workers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Work-related fatalities are going down for the workforce in general, but the disparity between Hispanic and non-Hispanic is persistent and not going away," Dr. Sherry Baron, coordinator of the Occupational Health Disparities Program at the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, said during a teleconference. "In 2006, the rate was 25% higher in Hispanics compared to all workers," Baron said. "Most striking is the especially high rate for foreign-born Hispanic workers. Foreign-born Hispanic workers had a 70% higher rate of work-related injury deaths compared to native-born Hispanic workers," she said.

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