And life is cheap in China and India - the 2 most populous region in the world. There's also the work culture where workers will actually protest against safety measures - some safety measures like helmet or vests in construction are disliked because wearing these on hot and humid climates make the workers extremely uncomfortable. Some workers also see it as "molly coddling for sissies" because "in their experience they've only seen very few work injuries or death, and those who do get injured are 'idiots' who don't follow instructions".