Ohio Workplace Fatalities on The Rise, Says OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said that fatalities involving Ohio workers have been rising over the past year, attesting to the need for change.

According to OSHA's Bill Wilkerson, there have been 17 work-related fatalities in Ohio since the beginning of the new year. Wilkerson says the problem may be related to lacking safety programs and procedures, with more and more companies turning a blind eye to OSHA's standards.

"There may be just too little regard being paid to instructing people on safe work practices, having proper safety programs and procedures in place and making sure that people follow up on these things," said Bill Wilkerson, director of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration's Cincinnati area.

This recent statement made by Wilkerson suggests that Ohio-based companies are not doing enough to create a safe working environment for their employees. Of course, there's no evidence supporting this theory, but it certainly raises some eyebrows nonetheless.

Companies in all industries and sectors should take a proactive approach towards educating and training their employees on safe practices. Whether it's how to operate mechanical lift or perform quality assurance inspections on products running through a conveyor belt, workers must familiarize themselves with the proper safety protocols to reduce the risk of injury. Even if the job is viewed as "generally safe," employers are still responsible for taking steps to reduce the risk of injury.

So, just how common are workplace fatalities? Data collected by OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that 3,929 U.S. workers (not strictly Ohio) lost their lives on the job in 2013. The most common causes of work-related fatalities include falls from an elevated platform, electrocution, struck by an object, and caught in between.

Even with the disturbing news of Ohio workplace fatalities on the rise, it's important to note that total workplace fatalities have declined over the years. Since 1970, for instance, the number of workplace fatalities have declined by more than 65%. Furthermore, the total number of work-related injury and illness rates have declined by 67% -- even with U.S. employment more than doubling during this same period.

Do you think Ohio-based employers are doing enough to protect their workers?