Workplace Issues - Dying At Work, The Workplace Is Safer And Safer, Ouch! — The Injuries We Get At Work

The workplace has changed greatly over the last quarter century. As we have seen in earlier chapters, the demographic makeup of the workforce has changed. Computers are ubiquitous in the workplace and were not so common just 25 years ago. The very nature of the work that is done has shifted from being slightly weighted towards production to being slightly weighted towards services. How have these changes played out in terms of safety and equal treatment on-the-job? This is the question we will contemplate in this chapter.

First, a look at occupational safety issues. In general, the trends in this area are very positive. The number of occupational fatalities has declined despite increasing numbers of people in the workplace. There has also been a steady decline in the number of occupational injuries and illnesses suffered between 1973 and 2000. This decline in occupational injuries and illnesses has been much greater (59%) for the less serious injuries than for injuries that resulted in lost work days (12%). The third panel in this chapter looks at the injuries we suffered in 1999 by type — cuts, bruises, chemical burns, amputations, etc…

The topic of occupational safety concludes with two panels. One addresses the fact that far more men than women are killed and injured on the job. In 1999 a total of 6,023 people were fatally injured while working. Of these, 97% were men. The last panel on this subject addresses the dramatic declines in the number of people assaulted at work. With the exception of those working in law enforcement and those working with the mentally ill, we are all safer from assault at work than we are in the world at large. In 1999 for every 1,000 people in the workforce, 9 were the victims of a violent act. In the society at large, 33 out of every 1,000 people over the age of 12 was victimized.

Safety from discrimination and harassment is another subject covered in this chapter. Six panels are used to cover the subject of trends in workplace discrimination and sexual harassment. Data on this subject have been gathered on a consistent and nationwide basis by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This commission, established in 1964, enforces all of the nation's civil rights laws, regulations and policies. The data they collect and publish on the subject are the basis for the analysis presented here. In short, charges of discrimination and sexual harassment filed with the EEOC are up. The number of charges resolved by the EEOC is up. Charges resolved in favor of the plaintiff are up. But most significant, monetary benefits awarded are up by 111% between 1992 and 2001. The panels discuss what all of this might mean.

The last panel in the chapter is about workplace safety concerns since September 11, 2001. It highlights areas in which attention is being directed. These may or may not become lasting trends. They are certainly of high interest as we enter the new century.