Workplace fatalities

From a news release that just popped into my e-mail box:

On Thursday, April 24, the AFL-CIO will release its annual Death on the Job report, which identifies how many people lost their lives and were injured at workplaces in the past year, and provides in-depth national and state analysis on workplace safety. West Virginia has the third worst record of all states for worker safety in 2006, with the third highest rate of job fatalities.

West Virginia's rate for worker fatalities (10.2/100,000 workers) is more than double the national average of 4.0/100,000 workers. In total, West Virginia had 79 work-related deaths in 2006, and another 25,200 workers died due to occupational diseases. Alaska was the worst with 13.8 deaths per 10,000 workers, and Rhode Island and New Hampshire were the safest with 1.8 deaths per 100,000.

2006 was one of the deadliest years in West Virginia workplaces in recent years, largely as result of the series of coal mine tragedies that occurred starting with the Sago mine disaster on January 2, 2006 that claimed 12 coal miners lives. During 2006, 23 coal miners lost their lives on the job in West Virginia.

West Virginia is no stranger to workplace tragedies. This Sunday marks the 30th anniversary of the Willow Island disaster where 51 construction workers fell to their deaths when scaffolding pulled away from a cooling tower under construction.

The release of the report coincides with Workers Memorial Day, April 28th, which commemorates workers who died or were injured in the past year. ...

I remember the Willow Island accident. I didn't cover it, but I was covering an event in Mason County where then-Gov. Jay Rockefeller was speaking at an event in (I think) the town of New Haven. He had to leave when he got word about Willow Island.

I don't get up in the Willow Island area very much -- the last time was five years ago, I think -- but every time I see those cooling towers, I think of those men who fell.

If I remember, I will look at the report when it comes out. The coal mine fatalities -- lead by Sago, of course -- will play a large role in the statistics. I hope to be able to play with the numbers some.