Decline in Workplace Deaths may not be caused by Safety

Alberta's workplace death toll may have decreased last year, but some are saying its due to the recession.

The Albertan government claims workplace deaths have dropped from 166 in 2008 to 110 in 2009 due to tougher government regulations. While its easy for the government to put these figures out, others have noticed that the employment rate has dropped in some of the more dangerous industries.

Its easy to argue for both sides, but both are probably contributing factors to the decrease in workplace deaths.

To find out more about Alberta's health and safety debate here.

GAO, OSHA find work-related injuries underreported

An article in the New York Times, Work-related injuries underreported by Steven Greenhouse, details a GAO report on OSHA data regarding injuries in the workplace. Washington Senator Patty Murray is quoted:

“This report confirms that when it comes to the documenting of workplace injuries, we can’t just take employers at their word,” said Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington and chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. “The system, to this point, has been all too easy to game.”