Death at Work: The Philadelphia metropolitan area earned a dubious
distinction last year: most workplace fatalities in Pennsylvania. Of the 220
workplace deaths, 93 occurred in the metro area of Philadelphia; Camden, New
Jersey; and Wilmington, Delaware, according to a report in the Philadelphia
Business Journal. People died in a variety of ways: highway crashes (64),
homicides (32), falls to lower level (29) and being struck by objects or
equipment (22). Men accounted for 204 of the work-related deaths, or 93 percent,
and 79 percent of the victims were white, compared with 9 percent who were
black, 7 percent of Hispanic or Latino origin, and 4 percent who were Asian. The
most deaths occurred in the construction sector, which claimed 46 lives, and
transportation/ warehousing, in which 40 people died.
In a related story, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has signed an executive
order that requires state agencies to implement policies by July 1, 2009, aimed
at protecting people from workplace violence, including stalking, domestic
abuse, and sexual assault, according to a report in New Mexico Business
Weekly.
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