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News Release USDL: 97-270
Thursday, August 7, 1997
Contact: David Saltz, (202)219-8211

The release of fatal occupational injury data for 1996 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics presents good news and bad news for American workers. The good news is that the number of fatal injuries fell to the lowest level in five years. Notable drops occurred in the number of job-related electrocutions and homicides.

But the bad news is that 17 workers die on the job every day in this nation. Truck drivers, construction workers, people working on farms and those in sales are particularly vulnerable to fatal injuries. Work-related deaths from highway crashes, jackknifings, vehicle rollovers, homicides, tractor-related accidents and falls continue to take their unfair toll on honest, hardworking Americans -- people who get up and go to work and never come home to their families.

The 6,112 workers who died on the job in 1996 remind us all that safety and health should never be taken for granted. One of my top priorities as Secretary of Labor is ensuring American workers a safe and healthful workplace. A strong and effective Occupational Safety and Health Administration is key to achieving that goal.