WASHINGTON - Of the 14 fatal accidents that occur each day in workplaces throughout the United States, four of them involve Latinos (28.5 percent), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revealed yesterday. After a news conference at the Consulate General of Mexico in New York, Diana Cortez, spokesperson for OSHA, expressed that the majority of the accidents were "preventable" and that the authorities are working to eradicate them.

She also reported that an inquiry made by the Mexican consulate general in New York showed that in the tri-state region (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut), 29 percent of workplace accidents happen to Latinos.

Furthermore, she indicated that the official numbers reveal that 55.2 percent of immigrant workers in the United States are of Latin American origin, and that the majority of them work in sectors where the highest number of workplace-related accidents take place.

However, if they have accidents, Hispanic workers usually do not report them, as they are unaware that they have certain rights, despite their immigration status.