One Mexican Worker Dying a Day, AP Finds (In US unsafe working conditions)

[RamboLiberal]

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20040313_1502.html

The jobs that lure Mexican workers to the United States are killing them in a worsening epidemic that is now claiming a victim a day, an Associated Press investigation has found. Though Mexicans often take the most hazardous jobs, they are more likely than others to be killed even when doing similarly risky work.
The death rates are greatest in several Southern and Western states, where a Mexican worker is four times more likely to die than the average U.S.-born worker. These accidental deaths are almost always preventable and often gruesome: Workers are impaled, shredded in machinery, buried alive. Some are 15 years old.

For the first such study of Mexican worker deaths in the United States, The AP talked with scores of workers, employers and government officials and analyzed years of federal safety and population statistics.

Among the findings:

- Mexican death rates are rising even as the U.S. workplace grows safer overall. In the mid-1990s, Mexicans were about 30 percent more likely to die than native-born workers; now they are about 80 percent more likely.

[burrowowl]

1. Worker death rates in the U$

are higher than in the EU. OSHA is pretty weak in enforcement.
(sarcasm) That's what Mexicans are for, to die for U$ corps (sarcasm off)
Also makes statistics for worker safety in the U$ look good, since the Mexicans are probably not declared, kind of like the KIA in Iraq, if you die later, even 1/2 hour, you were wounded not killed. BTW there are a lot of Mexicans serving in Iraq too and being killed.

[fortyfeetunder]

5. OSHA is weak and prone to get weaker

As long as Bunnypants is still in office. Coupled with the travesty at the Labor department and with EPA....

[mourningdove92]

2. I am glad to see the above post. This is something

I have railed about for years. I work in a hospital, and I see first hand the number of illegals killed or permanently maimed in work related accidents. These callous companies hire these workers, give them no safety training, provide zero safety standards, and when the worker gets injured on the job, the employers simply shrug their shoulders and say....Oh no, no workers comp for this person. This person is "contract labor" therefore is not covered under any protection plan. So sorry he is dead, so sorry he is maimed for life, but no, we will not be paying his medical bills or providing for he and his family.
btw...guess who ends up paying the medical bills???
we do.

[donsu]

3. kick - I would think this is an issue hispanics would speak out about

nt

[ConcernedCanuk]

4. Sooo - the gov't hasn't changed it's tactics in 150 years !

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.
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Wasn't it the the Chinese that the US got to come in to do the dangerous work on the railroad that the regular Americans would refuse to do? It was the Chinese that they sent in with the nitro to make the dangerous trips, no?

150 year old habits are hard to break ya know

Let's face it, the US governmental system has had an inherent "sickness" since it's inception

Lies and greed

The guys with the $$$$ run the country it seems. It does not really matter who is "out front".

Yah, I woke up with a pessimistic attitude I guess - need coffee and hang in the Lounge for a bit.

:freak: