These are the stories of workers in their 80s who died on the job

"Ralph Scott was walking to his office at East Carolina University when he fell. He was shaken, and a groundsman helped him up. He had scrapes on his knee and elbow, but no obvious head injury. The next morning, he felt stiff and achy. His headaches worsened over the next few days. Ralph drove himself to the hospital, where his condition slowly worsened. He died two weeks after his fall."

"Ralph enjoyed taking strolls with his camera, playing the double bass, and digging into a research project on World War II. He had just celebrated 52 years at the university, where he had long worked as a rare books curator. "Ralph was doing what he loved," Nancy said. "If he were still here today and was healthy, I'm sure he would still be going over to his office every day.""

An 80-year-old rare books curator at East Carolina University fell while walking to his office and initially had scrapes without obvious head injury. He later experienced stiffness and worsening headaches, and he drove himself to the hospital where his condition deteriorated over two weeks. Doctors attributed his death to congestive heart failure, blood clots, and various hemorrhages and hematomas. He had chronic cardiac issues and a pacemaker but had been active and worked 52 years at the university. After a complicated legal process his wife received workers' compensation and OSHA initially fined the university $8,000. The share of workplace fatalities involving older workers has increased.

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