PERSONAL INSURANCE BULLETIN
Forth Quarter 1999
Injuries in the workplace declined dramatically this century, down 90 percent between 1933 and 1997 according to the National Safety Council.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), released a report on workplace safety crediting efforts by individuals, employers? unions and agencies such as itself for the decline in health and safety risks on the job.
In fact, if today?s workforce of 130 million was exposed to the same risk as workers in 1933, then an additional 40,000 workers would have died in 1997 from preventable injuries. An analysis showed that more than 500 steelworkers were killed in a single Pennsylvania county in one year between 1906 and 1907 and only 17 steel workers in the United States died in 1997.
According to the CDC, one reason for the decline is the recognition of workplace hazards and efforts to reduce danger, particularly in the mining industry. Also, better trauma care is available for those who do get injured.
