1,001 Facts That Will Scare the S#*t Out of You: The Ultimate Bathroom Reader (33 page)

223

FACT :
In 2007, a laundry employee at Cintas Corp. in Oklahoma was killed when
he fell into an industrial dryer
while attempting to free a wad of clothes that had jammed a conveyor belt.
On a happier note, he did manage to free the clothes, saving the company about $35.

Tyche Hendricks, “Workplace Deaths Rise in California, Nation,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 29, 2008,
www.sfgate.com
.

224

FACT :
In its 2008 Death on the Job Report, the AFL-CIO ranked commercial fishing as the occupation with
the highest fatality rate
, with almost 150 deaths on the job per 100,000 workers.
The fatality rate for the fish is even higher.

“‘Death on the Job’ Report, 2008: The Toll of Neglect,” American Federation of Labor— Congress of Industrial Organizations,
www.aflcio.org
.

225

FACT :
In a 2004 survey, 17 percent of men said they had been
sexually harassed on the job
, but 60 percent of them did nothing about it.
Those 60 percent are the ones who liked it.

“Interoffice Romance Survey,”
Lawyers.com
, August 12, 2004,
www.research.lawyers.com
.

“Sexual Harassment In The Workplace,” Sexual Harassment Support,
www.sexualharassmentsupport.org
.

226

FACT :
On January 2, 2006, a coal mine exploded in Sago, West Virginia,
trapping thirteen miners for nearly two days
. All but one of the miners died. A series of subsequent mine disasters in 2006 claimed forty-seven more lives.
Mine disasters, not mime disasters. Sorry. Disappointing, I know.

“‘Death on the Job’ Report, 2008: The Toll of Neglect,” American Federation of Labor—Congress of Industrial Organizations website,
www.aflcio.org
.

227

FACT :
Workplace injuries come at a high cost to employers. According to a 2007 Workplace Safety Index from Liberty Mutual Insurance, the most disabling injuries
cost U.S. employers over $48.3 billion
in workers’ compensation claims.
But don’t worry, I’m sure they won’t pass on those costs to customers.

“Death on the Job’ Report, 2008: The Toll of Neglect,” American Federation of Labor—Congress of Industrial Organizations,
www.aflcio.org
.

228

FACT :
In Japan, suicide resulting from overwork, or karojisatsu, is
an officially recognized and compensated occupational hazard
. By some estimates, 5 percent of all suicides in Japan are “company related.”
“Where’s Hiro? He’s supposed to lead this meeting.” “He killed himself, sir.” “Ah, dedication. I like it.

Give him a raise.”

“Crying shame,” Hazards Magazine, January-March 2008,
www.hazards.org
.

229

FACT :
From 2001 to 2002, Japan saw a record 690 claims of karoshi—death by overwork. Of these, 143 were confirmed cases:
96 from stroke and 47 from sudden heart attack
. The numbers were even higher in 2003, with 819 claims, 160 of which were compensated.
That means 659 claims—80 percent—were rejected. The Americanization of Japan is complete.

Rory O’Neill, “Drop Dead,” Hazards Magazine, July– September 2003,
www.hazards.org
.

230

FACT :
Claims of karoshi jumped after Japan modified a rule to include the effects of cumulative fatigue. A worker who dies after
routinely working eighty or more overtime hours a month
is now eligible to be considered a case of karoshi.
If I had to work eighty or more overtime hours a month, I would welcome death.

Rory O’Neill, “Drop Dead,” Hazards Magazine, July– September 2003,
www.hazards.org
.