Welcome to CPR's first- and only-of-its-kind Crimes Against Workers Database. Here you’ll find detailed information about state criminal cases and grassroots advocacy campaigns against employers responsible for crimes against workers – leaving them dead, maimed, seriously injured or sick, or robbing them of some or all of their paychecks. You'll also find links to Google Drive folders with source materials. Search using the tools below.
You can also help us grow the database. We plan to expand the database as we discover new cases and gather new information and materials. You can help us by notifying us of new incidents or additional information about incidents already in the database. To let us know about an incident, contact CPR Senior Policy Analyst Marcha Isabelle Chaudry.
Disclaimer: Before you begin your search below, please review the database terms and conditions.
Showing 127 results
Chemical Exposure | Michigan | January 18, 1985
Hatherill, a cable television splicer, died of carbon monoxide exposure while working in a company owned truck (a Chevrolet Step Van). The truck's undercarriage and exhaust system was in poor condition and exhaust fumes leaked into the truck. An inspection of the truck by industrial hygeniest Rudolph Zoller following the incident revealed that carbon monoxide […]
Suffocation | California | January 1, 1985
Employee suffocated when he became trapped in a 33 feet deep elevator shaft. Evidence showed that he was not wearing a safety harness. The company failed to shore the trench, provide a safety harness, and monitor the air in the elevator shaft. By the time the employee was rescued and taken to the hospital, he […]
Electrocution | California | January 1, 1985
While trimming a 60 foot palm tree, Esquer attempted to remove a wet frond from an electrical conductor. A supervisor was present but took no action. Employees were not trained on the dangers of touching items fallen on high voltage wires. (Date below is approximate.)
Unavailable | California | January 1, 1985
Unavailable. (Date below is approximate.)
Electrocution | California | January 1, 1985
Employee electrocuted when he struck a city cable while digging a pipeline for a new apartment building.
Burned | California | January 1, 1984
Safety violations at a refinery caused a maintenance worker to suffer second degree and third degree burns over more than 70 percent of his body when he was scalded by 950-degree oil. None of the valves were labeled and the worker had never performed the task alone before. (Date below is approximate.)
Chemical Exposure | Michigan | November 15, 1983
Lee died when he was driving a tank inside the company’s prototype fabrication shop and was overcome with freon (trichlorotrifluoroethane) fumes from a cleaning solution, Gensolv-D, which was used to degrease the interior of the tanks. Approximately 15 gallons of Freon were used to degrease the particular tank that Lee had driven. Several gallons of […]
Fire/ Explosion | Wisconsin | March 23, 1983
An employee plugged a fan into an electrical outlet, generating sparks which caused a fire and explosion that killed another plant employee, Dennis Whitt, and injured several other people. Cornellier had knowledge of substantial fire and explosion hazards at the plant, many of them in violation of OSHA requirements, and he failed to take any […]
Chemical Exposure | Illinois | February 10, 1983
Stephen Golab, an undocumented worker from Poland, died from cyanide exposure at the Film Recovery and Metallic Marketing facility in Elk Grove where he worked. Golab disconnected a pump on one of the tanks and began to stir the contents of the tank with a rake when he became dizzy and faint. Co-workers observed Golab […]