Under current OSHA administrative policy, any workplace fatalities or hospitalizations of five or more employees resulting from a workplace accident or illness are given high priority and thoroughly investigated. It must be clearly pointed out that not all employee fatalities are due to the existence of hazardous workplace conditions.
Circumstances can conspire to thwart the safety efforts of even the most conscientious employer.
Some from the labor perspective may argue this figure demonstrates OSHA ineptness or worse. However, with the media coverage and close follow up by top OSHA officials attendant to these types of investigations, it seems unlikely that any serious problems would be overlooked.