32 Massachusetts Workers Died on the Job in 2012

April 29, 2013

Labor and worker rights activists are honoring 32 workers who died on the job last year.

The Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health released a report Thursday highlighting the deaths.

The report found falls and motor vehicle incidents were among the leading causes of deaths.

The report said the construction industry remained one of the most dangerous for workers, with six on-the-job fatalities in 2012. Four fishermen and boat captains died on the job.

Firefighters suffered seven line-of-duty fatalities due to work-related cancer and heart disease.

The report also estimates 320 workers died in Massachusetts from occupational-related diseases, with asbestos exposure causing over 90 deaths in Massachusetts in 2012.

The report called for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration ramp up its enforcement of workplace safety rules.

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