Nonprofit Urges Criminal Charges for On-the-Job Deaths, Injuries

A nonprofit public-policy organization is calling for criminal prosecution in more cases in which a worker is hurt or dies on the job. The Center for Progressive Reform said that although ignoring workplace safety requirements is against the law, employers rarely face criminal penalties for doing so. Instead, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and state labor agencies typically impose only small civil fines for regulatory violations. The center has published a new manual that urges prosecution of worker death and injury cases under a state’s general criminal laws, includ...