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Texas had most fatalities of Hispanic workers in '03
Immigrant employees' deaths rose in 10-year period, study finds

08:14 PM CDT on Thursday, April 28, 2005
Associated Press

More Hispanics died on the job in Texas than in any other state in 2003, and the number of immigrants killed in work-related accidents increased sharply over a decade, a union study released Thursday found.

While job fatalities and injuries for workers across the nation have dropped or remained steady overall, deaths for Latino and immigrant employees escalated almost every year from 1992 to 2003 in Texas, according to "Death on the Job," a report of government figures by the AFL-CIO.

Hispanic worker fatalities reported in Texas rose from 136 in 1992 to 163 in 2003, surpassing California, which saw a decrease, according to the study.

Texas counted 69 foreign-born workers who died from work-related injuries in 1992. By 2003, the number of immigrant-worker fatalities reached 121, a 75 percent increase. Texas trailed only California.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials, who regulate workplace safety, weren't immediately available to comment.

Texas has a high population of native-born and immigrant Hispanics, and they account for a large portion of the workforce in riskier occupations, such as manufacturing, agriculture and construction, said Deborah Weinstock, an occupational safety and health specialist for the AFL-CIO.

Latino immigrants also are disproportionately represented in the "informal economy," referring to those who work as part-time or temporary employees or day laborers, or get paid under the table, Ms. Weinstock said.

One of the main factors contributing to employees being fatally injured at work is the lack of adequate training on dangerous conditions, employees' rights and safety, union officials say.

"We know that when workers do receive the proper training, whether from their employer, union or community-based organization, they're more likely to know what their rights are and know more about hazards," Ms. Weinstock said.

Hispanics are less likely to report hazards at the workplace because they fear being labeled troublemakers, worry about their job security or aren't informed about their rights, she said.

In the case of foreign-born workers, the language barrier places them at higher risk, experts say.

Often, workplaces have supervisors who speak only English and employees who are Spanish-dominant, preventing clear communication.

OSHA offers information on its Web site in Spanish and English on employee rights and employer responsibilities and translations of frequently used work terms.

The agency also has a handful of bilingual coordinators to help organizations that provide worker training and offers fact sheets online in Spanish with safety suggestions on topics ranging from tree trimming to preventing falls.

"The best way to reach these folks is being out there," Ms. Weinstock said. "It's not just posting a bunch of fact sheets in Spanish on a Web site. Who knows if a worker is going to access it."

Employers who require workers to pay for safety equipment out of their pocket also leave their workforce vulnerable.

"If a worker can't afford it, they're not going to buy it, they're not going to have it, they're not going to be protected," Ms. Weinstock said.


The statistics don't tell you that American workers were disproportionately unemployed due to illegal immigrants willing to work for cheaper wages. Also their is a huge communication gap because most illegals cannot read, write, or understand english, which puts them at risk for injuries from machinery, etc. The companies hiring illegal workers should not only be liable for their injuries and death, but should also be imprisoned for hiring illegal aliens in the first place.