Dangerous Jobs: Latino Immigrants and the Occupational Hazards Few See
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Latinos are more likely to be employed in hazardous jobs than the rest of the U.S. population. Consequently,
Photo by Josh Olalde in Unsplash.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Latinos are more likely to be employed in hazardous jobs than the rest of the U.S. population. Consequently, they are more likely to suffer serious accidents and even die in high-risk workplace situations.
In recent years, there have been fatal accidents that have shaken the Latino community in the United States. As was the case of the six Latino immigrant workers who died in the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge while making repairs to it.
The deaths of these workers were not only due to the ship colliding with the bridge. They were also due to the bridge's infrastructural negligence, according to the Board. National Transportation Safety either NTSB, for its acronym in English. The bridge was considered "critically fractured," meaning it lacked strong supports. It had a maritime collision risk nearly 30 times greater than the acceptable risk under national standards.
Statistics on deaths in dangerous jobs among Latino immigrants
But this is not an isolated case; many Hispanic workers die due to negligence in dangerous jobs without media coverage, especially construction workers. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics In 2021, Hispanic immigrant workers accounted for 141 TP3T of workplace deaths, although they were only 8.2 TP3T of the workforce.
And statistically, there is no improvement: the number of work-related deaths among Hispanic or Latino immigrant workers rose to 727 in 2021. This is a 5.1% increase from 692 in 2020 and the highest count since 2011. Considering that in 2021, construction occupations recorded the highest number of deaths with 228 fatal injuries. This occupation accounted for nearly a third (31.4%) of all deaths among foreign-born Hispanic or Latino workers.
Recommendations and labor rights
If you're an injured worker: Preserve evidence, seek legal assistance, and file for workers' compensation. There are organizations that offer free or low-cost consultation with labor lawyers or immigrant legal clinics.
And access government resources such as the Office of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). They have a section called Occupational Safety and Health / Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers which explains that all workers have the right to a safe workplace regardless of their immigration status. It includes instructions for filing a complaint with OSHA if the workplace is unsafe.
OSHA also provides information in Spanish about the “OSHA Authorized Online Outreach Training Providers”, which teaches workers' rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file complaints when they are not being followed according to the law.
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