U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Applauds Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Report Showing Decline in Worker Fatalities

    WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 /EMWNews/ -- In a response to today's

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report announcing a decline in worker

fatalities, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao issued the following

statement:



    "This is continued evidence that the initiatives and programs to

protect workers' safety and health, designed by and implemented in this

administration, are indeed working. In addition to a decline in the overall

number of fatalities, the rate for 2007 declined to 3.7 fatalities per

100,000 workers. This is the lowest fatality rate in recorded OSHA

history."



    The BLS report showed that the number of worker fatalities declined six

percent from 2006. Although final results for 2007 will be released in

April 2009, the preliminary figure for 2007 is 5,488 fatal injuries

recorded in the United States compared to 5,840 reported for 2006.



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