April 4, 2007—Higher education can be hazardous. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that workplace accidents on college campuses resulting in the hospitalization or death of a worker have escalated during the past decade.
Between 1996 and early 2006, 200 serious injuries occurred, up from 140 during the past decade, for a 41 percent increase since the mid-1980s. The accidents and injuries come at a time when the government conducted fewer inspections of workplaces, particularly academic employers.
The publication’s analysis found that in the past 10 years, enforcement of occupational safety rules at colleges fell sharply, with fewer inspections and citations for serious violations.
For more information, see the publication’s Web site.
