16 Deaths Per Day

There are 16 workplace deaths on average in the United States every day. Most companies are never prosecuted for negligence, even after repeated warnings that their workers were in danger.

Under current Federal law, willfully contributing to the death of an employee is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum prison sentence of six months and a maximum fine of $70,000. Even with these weak penalties, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) rarely refers such cases to the Department of Justice for prosecution, so those employers that knowingly allow their employees to work under dangerous conditions are rarely held accountable. In fact, current laws are so weak that millions of dollars of penalties to victim’s families have not been paid — in those rare cases when violators are penalized at all.

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