Distressing. Unacceptable. Mired in mediocrity. I’m paraphrasing, but that’s the essence of the American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) reaction last month to news from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that a total of 4,547 workers died on the job in 2010 compared with 4,551 from 2009.
Said ASSE President Terrie S. Norris: “The fact that this nation’s fatalities are not significantly decreasing should be a call for action… especially at an economically challenging time when some of the most dangerous industries are not at full employment… This nation’s effort to protect workers is stalled… A politically charged yes and no conversation about occupational safety and health… leaves too many of this nation’s workplaces mired in efforts that do not achieve better safety.”