INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana labor union leaders are calling for improved workplace safety enforcement with the state’s rate of deaths while working about one-third higher than the national average.
Federal data shows Indiana had 146 worker deaths during 2019, the most recent year available. A report from the AFL-CIO says that represents 4.7 deaths per 100,000 workers compared to the national rate of 3.5 deaths per 100,000.
The Indiana AFL-CIO says the state’s workers deserve better protection as the state’s workplace safety agency has just 38 inspectors. The state Department of Labor says Indiana worker deaths fell by 27, or 15%, from a year earlier.
