Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis stated: “A single worker hurt or killed on the job is one too many. While a decrease in the number of fatal work injuries is encouraging, we cannot–and will not–relent from our continued strong enforcement of workplace safety laws. As the economy regains strength and more people re-enter the workforce, the Department of Labor will remain vigilant to ensure America’s workers are kept safe while they earn a paycheck. After all, as I’ve said before, no job is a good job unless it is also safe.”
The Bureau of Labor notes in a recently released report that fatality rates for 2009 were down overall from the previous year, although the rate for Hispanic workers stayed the same.
While the trend is good, there were still 4,340 fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, spouses, partners and friends who did not go home at the end of the day.