This insightful documentary by Vince DiPersio and Bill Guttentag covers the issue of poor workers safety regulations that leads to accidents,
injuries and deaths, as observed in the United States in the late 1980's. It's a shocking and depressive reality that echoes a lot deeper from anyone
outside of the U. S. because if they had a tragic toll number of 10.000 back then, a highly developed nation, what could one imagine in less developed
countries. "Death on the Job" presents a series of accidents that happened in many different and risky workplaces such as fishing, construction and oil
refineries, interviewing survivors, family members of deceased ones and lawyers talking not only about the incidents but also why they happen and what
could be done to be prevented.
While the film points out on the usual suspects and usual causes on why safety regulations aren't followed and/or enforced (companies that profit
by saving money and cutting costs are the main factor), it's also amazingly surprising that regulatory agencies also fail with their overseeing of
companies and workers, almost as if being part of a failed state or under a dominating regime controlled by some tyrannical state. The first story
relating with the fishing industry was the one that surprised me the most as a survivor recalls the company's insane demands for over-hours, "punishment"
tasks for those who didn't deliver those hours or refused to do them, and we get a glimpse from the actual accident of his sinking boat that capsized as
there was no stability with the ammount of fishes taken in order to fulfill a quota. And the tragedies only get worse each minute you see and hear
why they happened.
The good news (if there is one) is that the numbers presented in the early minutes of the documentary were reduced by half in those 30 years.
Yet 5.000 is still a great number to consider, and simply for something so pertinent to everyone's lives which is to work, to go there and feel safe
about it, no matter the risks. The irony of it all is what makes everything sound so absurd: you go to the place where you earn a living yet you could
die on it and most of the time it wouldn't be your entirely responsability if a tragedy would occur - as we depend of others doing their job.
It's a different world than the one shown in the film, safety regulations and practices changed a lot over the years (also a way for companies
escape from big lawsuits) and I like to think a film like this was helpful in providing some change of perception on those issues. It's a heavily
powerful film, one of those you won't forget too soon and it makes a great case for debate, wheter one faced similar or worse scenarios, and if there
are things and ways to change what's wrong and create safe work environments. 10/10.
