A harrowing look at the dangers of the workplace

The figure seems preposterous at first glance, surely a mistake, or perhaps based on a report from some Third World country, not the preeminent power in the world.

But tonight on “Frontline: A Dangerous Business” (9 p.m. KCET; 8 p.m. KVCR), you will learn some of the reasons why 6,000 Americans die each year on the job, and what is being done, or not being done, to address the situation.

The program narrows its focus to what it claims is one of the most dangerous firms in the United States, the McWane Corp., a giant pipe-manufacturing concern with iron foundries in 10 states and Canada. With a workplace strewn with glowing cauldrons of molten metal, huge conveyor belts and clanking, grinding machinery, it’s a hazardous business in general, but the “Frontline” investigation reveals that over the last seven years, privately owned McWane has amassed more safety violations than all its major competitors combined.

Company officials dispute the findings -- which “Frontline” contends are the result of a production-over-safety push that has reaped massive profits -- but refused interview requests.

“Frontline” warns viewers up front of the “disturbing images” they are about to see, and it’s not hyperbole. But after seeing the photos of bloodied, crushed bodies and interviews with maimed survivors of industrial accidents, you might look at your own workplace a little differently.