Study: At Work Deaths Higher For Hispanics

Research Shows Hispanics Hold Higher-Risk Jobs; 1 In 3 Deaths Occur In Construction Industry

(AP)  Hispanic workers die at higher rates than other laborers, with 1 in 3 of these deaths occurring in the construction industry, a government study reported Thursday.

Hispanics tend to hold more high-risk jobs than those in other racial groups, but language and literacy barriers and poor training and supervision may also be factors, researchers said. The leading causes of death in recent years have been falls and highway-related accidents.

"Many of the Hispanic workers in construction are undocumented, and many of those who are recently arrived do face a language barrier," said Rakesh Kochhar, associated director for research at the Pew Hispanic Center.

"A language barrier hinders understanding of a job, or the risks associated with it, or safety precautions," said Kochhar, who was not part of the new study.

The study was done by health researchers in Massachusetts, Michigan and New Jersey and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's being published this week in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The study counted more than 11,000 Hispanic work-related deaths nationwide from 1992-2006. The data were culled from death certificates, police reports, workers' compensation reports and other sources.

The researchers calculated an annual death rate of 5 per 100,000 Hispanic workers in 2006. But the rate for foreign-born Hispanics, roughly 6 per 100,000, was far higher than the 3.5 for those born in the United States.

The rate for non-Hispanic white workers was 4. For blacks, it was 3.7.

"The burden of risk is primarily on foreign-born workers," said Scott Richardson, a Bureau of Labor Statistics program director, in a Thursday telephone press conference about the new report.

From 1992-96, murder on the job was the most common cause of death among Hispanic workers, with crimes like convenience store robberies contributing heavily to that tally.

Then highway accidents became the leading type of work-related fatality. Falls also have become common, and were the leading cause of death in 2000 and 2006.

An analysis of the most recent deaths, from 2003-06, found that 2 of every 3 Hispanic workers who died on the job were foreign-born. That's up from 1992, when immigrants accounted for about half of Hispanic work-related deaths.

In recent years, about 70 percent of the foreign-born fatalities were from Mexico.

In 2003 through 2006, the highest numbers of Hispanic work-related deaths were in California, with 773 deaths; Texas, with 687; and Florida, with 417.

But the highest death rate for Hispanic workers was in South Carolina, at about 23 per 100,000. A recent influx of primarily foreign-born workers might account for that, experts said.

Hispanics make up about 14 percent of the nation's working age population, according to a report this week by the Pew Hispanic Center, a Washington-based research organization.

[hardhatmamma]

stupidrules3 - what kind of construction do you work in? certainly not commercial. And if it is residential, I have to assume you are a mom and pop business that is doing home renovations and think you''re so small that you''re above tax law. Risky move. The IRS is no joke. Yes, you will find a small percentage of illegals with fake socials in the industry (and high-end fake documents that look the same as the real thing). Those with the fake socials are paying into social security (they will never see that money of course) and they are paying taxes just like you and I. Nobody is getting paid cash. I can assure you of that. Just as McDonalds or KMart would never ever hire people for cash, construction firms can not hire for cash. Those small home renovators and landscapers are risking jail time if they are paying cash. Now that''s stupid.

[tucano2]

As usual the "main stream media" has the story spun.

The actual findings were interesting in that FOREIGN-BORN (mostly illiterate peasant) illegal aliens as well as FOREIGN-BORN American citizens of "hispanic origin" had the highest rates of "accidents" (most of course were staged in order to collect work-comp), while AMERICAN-BORN persons of "hispanic" origin had accident rates no greater or less than the others in the studied. The key seems to be FOREIGN vs. AMERICAN born individuals, e.g. illegals vs. citizens.

[fishinfool43]

LOL downsteam,
That would be Molly Ringwold. She could pass as a fine Irish lass. I got a sweet spot in my Irish heart for fiery red heads ;-)

[downsteamjim]

Hint Molly Maguire didn''t star in ''The Breakfast Club''?

[sigotratando]

Let''s see: murder, traffic accidents, and falling...at least 2 of the 3 reasons appear on the surface to have nothing to do with language barrier affecting work.

I live in Mexico, with construction & traffic all around me. The Mexican people really do work hard, and they take enormous risks. But ''risks'' are part of what they expect as part of the work because ''liability'' is foreign: if you fall, it''s because you weren''t personally careful enough.

They drive like stereotypical Latins, with little regard for other drivers or rules; & North Americans have a tough time with that because, while we have an expectation of people following rules, the locals do not, which is why there may be more traffic accidents with them. NAmericans have an expectation of most rules being followed, so we don''t drive with a defensiveness that is required in Mexico to survive on the road.

Language barrier with at-work deaths resulting from murder? There''s something about this factor whose relevance to work hasn''t been adequately exposed, or there isn''t one.

It just seems to me that this article is a lot of hype.

[fishinfool43]

geegeemama,
here''s an Irish toast for you... When sliding down the banister of life I wish all your splinters are pointing up!!!!

Long live the Molly Maguires!!!
(if you don''t know who the Molly Maguires are, maybe you need the history lesson)

[fishinfool43]

too bad geegeemama has never heard of ellis island. guess the joke is on her ROFL LMFAO. Truly ignorant and pathetic

[fishinfool43]

fishinfool43
That%u2019s not even true!!! That was no such of thing as come here legal or illegally, hahaha this continent were a bunch of colonies of different countries!!!, is sad you don%u2019t even know your own history or the history of this country. Many people who came here didn%u2019t even have legal documentation in their own country how do you think they come here legally?



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by geegeemama at 05:16 PM : Jun 06, 2008

I have only been here for 4 generations, long afyer this was colonized. You dont know my ancestory, and with that you can kiss my IRISH azz. in the meantime shut your pie hole when it concerns matters you know nothing about!!!

[bdrlnt4rl]

AMERIKKKANS NEED TO LEARN SPANISH! ENGLISH SUCKS!
VIVA MEXICO! AND GIVE US BACK TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA BEFORE WE TAKE IT!
VIVA MEXICO!

Posted by ZWE453



and why would the americans want to give back california and texas just for it to be turned into non working poor nation who will want to swim the red river to get the jobs in oklahoma!!!

[downsteamjim]

Dying on the job. Now that may be a job that Americans don''t want to do.

[stupidrules3]

I''m not surprised that the death rate on the job is higher among Hispanics. They take more chances. I saw 2 guys stick a 2x10 out a window and while the bigger one stood on the end (the best part of their whole plan), the other one went out on the board to work on the window. They have less of a concern for safety that I have witnessed many times.

geegeemama, I have to disagree with you about the tax thing. These guys work for cash and no taxes are withheld from their pay. They are not covered by workman''s compensation insurance, and they will quit if you tell them you have to withhold taxes and social security on them. I work in the construction industry and see this happen regularly.

[geegeemama]

fishinfool43
That%u2019s not even true!!! That was no such of thing as come here legal or illegally, hahaha this continent were a bunch of colonies of different countries!!!, is sad you don%u2019t even know your own history or the history of this country. Many people who came here didn%u2019t even have legal documentation in their own country how do you think they come here legally?

[geegeemama]

fishinfool43
That%u2019s not even true!!! That was no such of thing as come here legal or illegally, hahaha this continent were a bunch of colonies of different countries!!!, is sad you don%u2019t even know your own history or the history of this country. Many people who came here didn%u2019t even have legal documentation in their own country how you thing they come her legally?

[fishinfool43]

well one thing i know for sure, my ancestors came here legally, worked hard and learned the language, and i will not try to stop anyone, no matter what nationality, that wants to be here legally.

[geegeemama]

Well I''m currently living here in USA, but in my country the 15% of the population are immigrants, many without documents (meaning illegally), but they still humans to us, we do not put them in jails, because they do not belong with killer, rapists, drug dealers%u2026, may of them come from south American countries and others from Africa. If you see the conditions they living like in theirs countries you never talk bad about them anymore.
Anyway is funny that this country has anything to say at all about immigration when this continent is filling with people who emigrated from other countries%u2026

[geegeemama]

Well I''m currently living here in USA, but in my country the 15% of the population are immigrants, many without documents (meaning illegally), but they still humans to us, we do not put them in jails, because they do not belong with killer, rapists, drug dealers%u2026, may of them come from south American countries and other from Africa. If you see the conditions they living like in theirs countries you never tall bad about them anymore.
Anyway is funny that this country has anything to say at all about immigration when this continent is filling with people who emigrated from other countries%u2026

[fishinfool43]

no, the problem lies with the people that pay them cash and the govt never sees a dime of that money just to get it sent or carried back across the border

[fishinfool43]

have a great day hard hat!!! hope I didnt offend you

[geegeemama]

"well if you got rid of the estimated 11 million illegals, we more than likely wouldn''''t have 5% unemployment, and our health care wouldn''''t be as much
Posted by fishinfool43"

Well let me disagree with you opinion. I really believe that the system in USA do not permitted illegal%u2019s workers get away with non taxes payment. The fact is they do pay taxes because the IRS give them the tax number, so even if they''r illegal they still to pay taxes, and who pay taxes is supporting the social security%u2026

[hardhatmamma]

Okay. This suburban soccer mom / executive / white lady needs to get back to work. I''ve never participated in an exchange like this before and now I understand why kids are so addicted to these chat websites, etc. It''s nice to live in a country where we can share our opinions. I''m signing off saying that I''m proud of my country''s language, ENGLISH. I''m proud of today''s immigrants, primarily Hispanic in my industry, who are kind, smart, brave, hardworking, loyal, and fun. I%u2019m proud of my industry that bends over backwards to hire people who are legal to work but gets intimidated by our government because our government can%u2019t fix the problem. I%u2019m scared of how open our borders are and hope that people with evil intent do not come through. I%u2019m disgusted by rich people who hire illegals to cut their grass tax-free and then cuss the system and blame it on companies that are doing things right. I''m proud to be an American. God Bless America.