The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) has announced what it considers to be the “Dirty Dozen” employers for 2023.
“The rate of U.S. workplace fatalities from sudden trauma is on the rise, and so is the rate of workplace injuries and illnesses,” said Jessica E. Martinez, MPH, co-executive director of National COSH, in a statement.
Nationwide data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, said Martinez, shows that Latino/a and Black workers are dying on the job at a higher rate than other workers.
In addition to focusing on alarming national trends, said Martinez, it’s important to look at the safety practices – and failures – of specific employers. “We are highlighting companies where it’s clear that more can be done to prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities,” she said. “The path forward is to empower workers as real partners in workplace safety, because workers know where the hazards are and how to eliminate them.”
Before we take a close look at the 12 companies on this year's list, it's important to note – as we do every time we publish this slideshow – that National COSH tends to single out companies who are resistant to unionization efforts. National COSH, after all, is an advocacy group whose aims include establishing and strengthening unions. Although some of the companies on this Dirty Dozen list have significant safety violations and citations on their record, others seem to be on the list not so much for the severity of safety risks as for their prominence within their industry. That explains, for instance, why a restaurant chain like Twin Peaks is on the list for its exploitative practices against women, whereas Dollar General, a retailer with numerous OSHA violations, is left off the list (presumably because the company is already getting enough negative publicity; Dollar General was on last year's "Dirty Dozen" list).
This article offers a more detailed explanation of exactly how companies are chosen for, and how they end up on, the Dirty Dozen.
And here are links to previous recipients of the Dirty Dozen designation (this annual designation was put on hold in 2021 due to the pandemic):
The 12 Most Dangerous Companies of 2022
'Dirty Dozen' List Details 12 Most Egregious Employers of 2020
The 12 Most Dangerous Companies of 2019