Why Are So Many Massachusetts Workers Dying On The Job?

Listen to this, folks: According to a new report, an alarming number of Massachusetts workers are dying while they are on the job. Workplace deaths aren't really common anyway, but it seems like the number is very high for Massachusetts.

Here's something even crazier. The number of worker deaths in 2024 is actually DOWN from 2023, yet the number is still alarmingly high. WWLP/22 News reports that 48 Massachusetts workers died on the job last year.

That number is actually down from 2023 when Massachusetts saw 62 fatalities in the workplace. Workplace safety advocates think the number from 2024 is still too high and are calling for new state protections.

The annual report has just been released from the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) and the Mass. AFL-CIO and the facts shared in it are worrisome, to say the least.

The report counts 48 workplace deaths last year, 40 of which were people who died from traumatic injuries at work. The other 8 deaths were of firefighters who died from occupational-related disease.

Additionally, WWLP reports, there were another 21 worker deaths by suicide or fatal overdoses. And that number could rise as more cases come to light. Some other interesting stats per the annual report.

Most of the fatal workplace injuries last year were focused in the construction and excavation industries while falls, slips, and trips were the main factors in at least half of workers deaths.

Both Mass. AFL-CIO and MassCOSH are calling on lawmakers and regulators to hold employers more accountable for the safety of their employees. The report said that employers "have shown reckless disregard for the safety of their workers."

It's a compelling story, for sure. Check it out for yourself by visiting WWLP's website here.