Few people would find any good news in the recession that gripped much of the world in 2008/09, but here's some: Work-related deaths across the US fell by 17 percent in 2009 - to their lowest level since the US Department of Labor started tracking those statistics in 1992.

In 2009 there were 4,340 workplace fatalities throughout the US.

The US Department of Labor reports that part of the reason for the drop in employee deaths is that workers logged fewer hours during the recession. Many workers are still feeling the effects. For example, the current unemployment rate in construction is 17.3 percent and the overall US jobless rate is 9.5 percent.

"As the economy regains strength and more people re-enter the work force, the Department of Labor will remain vigilant to ensure America's workers are kept safe while they earn a paycheck," says Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.

The poll found that workers younger than age 35 were most likely to report sexual harassment.

OHS regulations required stacked items to have a physical separation between the tiers to protect workers. A company chose to stack drums one on top of each other in a staggered manner but without anything between the rows. An inspector ordered it to use planks between the rows. The company appealed, arguing that its method was just as safe as the required one. The Board and an appeals court disagreed. The company didn't use an alternative but equally safe stacking method - it simply ignored the required method, they ruled [Lennox Drum Ltd. v. Ah-Hone, [2010] ONSC 4424 (CanLII), Aug. 10, 2010].

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Like a screwdriver, the common ladder is a tool that's frequently misused. The difference is that while using the wrong type of screwdriver for a job might not cause more than skinned knuckles, misusing a ladder can cause serious injury.

For example, a worker was standing on an eight-foot (2.4 meter) A-frame ladder in a storage room, trying to return a box to a top shelf. But the ladder was too wide for the room and couldn't be fully opened and locked into place. It gave way and the worker fell to the floor, losing consciousness and suffering back injuries.

The employer was fined $62,500 after pleading guilty to failing to ensure that a worker could carry, move and lift store merchandise safely.

Think of your own workplace. Are there situations in which a worker might attempt to use a ladder that can't be fully extended and locked into place in a tight space? If so, you need to address the problem before a similar injury or fatality occurs.