Healthcare workers at serious risk of injury on the job

The healthcare workforce was a focus this year of the U.S. Department of Labor's annual report about workplace injuries and illness. "We remain concerned that more workers are injured in the healthcare and social assistance industry sector than in any other, including construction and manufacturing, and this group of workers had one of the highest rates of injuries and illness at 5.2 cases for every 100 workers," Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis said. That 5.2 rate for 2010 compared to the rate for all private industry of 3.5 cases for every 100 workers. That glaring disparity caught the eye of former Alcoa CEO and UPMC board member Paul O'Neill, who used it during a talk show on WQED two weeks ago to criticize the healthcare industry generally and UPMC specifically.