National COSH Reveals 2025 ‘Dirty Dozen’ List of Unsafe Employers
National COSH spotlights twelve employers in its 2025 “Dirty Dozen” list for exposing workers to preventable hazards and unsafe conditions.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Apr 24, 2025
Workers’ Memorial Week, observed April 23 to May 1, honors those who have lost their lives or health due to hazardous working conditions, while calling attention to the need for systemic reform.
As Workers’ Memorial Week is observed across the country, the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) is preparing to release its 2025 “Dirty Dozen” list—highlighting twelve employers accused of endangering workers through preventable hazards and repeated safety violations.
The announcement comes at a time when more than 5,000 U.S. workers die each year from traumatic incidents on the job, with an additional estimated 120,000 lives lost annually due to long-term occupational illnesses. The annual “Dirty Dozen” list aims to bring public attention to employers who have allegedly prioritized profit over worker safety.
“Too many workers are dying, getting sick, or sustaining lifelong injuries—often in incidents that are entirely preventable,” said Jessica E. Martinez, MPH, Executive Director of National COSH. “The employers we’re highlighting have ignored known risks and failed to implement basic safety measures. We must hold them accountable.”
This year’s report also places a spotlight on systemic injustices, including the disproportionate risks faced by Black, brown, immigrant, and low-wage workers. National COSH points to the climate crisis and emerging health threats such as avian flu as growing concerns for frontline workers, particularly those in physically demanding or outdoor occupations.
“Immigrant workers, particularly Latino workers, continue to die at disproportionately high rates,” Martinez added. “We refuse to stay silent in the face of deadly exploitation. We’re organizing for a future where every worker, in every workplace, is safe—no matter their job, their zip code, or their immigration status.”
Workers from companies named in the 2025 list—spanning industries from food service to detention facilities—are expected to share firsthand accounts of unsafe conditions. The list is part of National COSH’s broader effort to advocate for stronger labor protections and more rigorous enforcement of workplace safety standards.
The full 2025 Dirty Dozen report is available at nationalcosh.org/dd25.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the Content Editor for OH&S.