The BLS reported on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, that 5,283 fatal work injuries occurred in 2023, a 3.7 percent decrease from the previous year’s total of 5,486. The fatal occupational injury rate of 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2023 was down from 3.7 in 2022.

Key findings

• A worker died every 99 minutes from a work-related injury in 2023 compared to 96 minutes in 2022.
• Transportation incidents were the most frequent type of fatal event, accounting for 36.8 percent (1,942) of all occupational fatalities in 2023.
• Fatalities due to violent acts totaled 740 in 2023. Homicides (458) accounted for 61.9 percent of violent acts and 8.7 percent of all work-related fatalities.
• Opioids were the primary source of 162 fatalities and a contributor in an additional 144 fatalities where multiple drugs were the source.
• The fatal injury count and rate for Black or African American workers decreased from 2022 to 2023. The count dropped 10.2 percent from 734 in 2022 to 659 in 2023 and the rate dropped from 4.2 to 3.6 cases per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers.

Characteristics of workers killed on the job

• Women accounted for 8.5 percent (447) of all fatalities, but accounted for 18.3 percent (84) of homicides in 2023.
• Women had the highest number of fatalities in the private health care and social assistance industry sector (63) followed by the retail trade sector (59).
• Workers ages 55 to 64 continued to have the highest number of fatalities in 2023 with 1,089 (20.6 percent of total fatalities). Transportation incidents were the highest cause of fatalities for this age group (401), followed by falls, slips, and trips (226).
• Workers ages 25 to 34 had the highest number of fatalities due to violent acts (179), including 121 homicides and 58 suicides.

Key findings by industry

• Construction had the most fatalities (1,075) among all industry sectors in 2023, and was the highest for the sector going back to 2011. Falls, slips, and trips accounted for 39.2 percent (421) of all construction fatalities, with transportation incidents accounting for another 22.3 percent (240) of fatalities.
• Most fatal falls to a lower level (260 or 64.4 percent) within construction were from a height of between 6 and 30 feet, while 67 fatal falls were from a height of more than 30 feet. Portable ladders and stairs were the primary source of 109 fatalities in construction.
• The transportation and warehousing sector had the second most fatalities (930), an 11.7 percent decrease from 1,053 fatalities in 2022. The fatal injury rate among workers in this sector also decreased from 14.1 in 2022 to 12.9 cases per 100,000 FTE workers in 2023.
• Transportation incidents accounted for 71.7 percent (667) of fatalities within the transportation and warehousing sector. Roadway collisions with another vehicle accounted for 249 fatalities and roadway collisions with an object other than a vehicle accounted for 193 fatalities. Within this sector 314 fatalities occurred on an interstate, freeway, or expressway and 117 occurred on local roads or streets.
• Approximately 30 percent of fatalities in the retail trade industry sector were homicides (94).
• Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services had 484 fatalities in 2023. Trees, logs, and limbs were the primary source of 79 of these deaths. The landscaping and groundskeeping occupation had the most fatalities (102) in this sector, followed by tree trimmers and pruners (80)

ASSP: Data encouraging but more work needed

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) released a statement on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, saying the organization is encouraged by the BLS data.

Despite the reported decline in workplace fatalities, many workers are still losing their lives.

“With many safety innovations readily available to employers everywhere, we must continue to decrease these numbers moving forward,” said ASSP President Pam Walaski, CSP, FASSP. “All workers deserve to return home safe and healthy at the end of the day. Most occupational incidents are preventable given today’s technologies and proven safety and health strategies.”

ASSP urges employers nationwide to be active in adopting voluntary national consensus standards, practicing prevention through design and implementing safety and health management systems. These components work together to help prevent serious injuries, illnesses and fatalities on the job.

While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets workplace safety standards mandated by law, voluntary consensus standards available through ASSP provide the latest expert guidance and fill gaps where federal standards don’t exist or are outdated. Companies rely on them to drive improvement, prevent injuries and support business sustainability. With government regulations being slow to change in today’s rapidly changing environment, federal compliance is not sufficient to protect worker well-being.

“Consensus standards can transform safety programs from compliance-based cost centers into corporate sustainability initiatives that save lives and positively impact the organization’s bottom line,” Walaski said.

ASSP encourages organizations to anchor their business in safety and health management systems such as ANSI/ASSP Z10.0-2019, a blueprint for any company. Z10 establishes a safe operational foundation by ensuring that critical processes are integrated while demonstrating a corporate commitment to engaging workers and protecting their well-being. Customized elements are based on the organization’s characteristics such as hazard exposures, risk levels, industry type and business processes.

To elevate workplace safety, ASSP also forms alliances with like-minded organizations in safety, research, sustainability and human capital to expand its reach. The Society has many joint agreements in place to improve the well-being of workers across all industries.

“These collaborative efforts not only improve occupational safety and health practices, but they also raise the voice of our profession,” Walaski said. “Organizations working together can build a larger and more engaged safety community that can share trusted guidance and drive positive workplace safety outcomes.”

Increase in overdoses

The National Safety Council released the following statement about the data surrounding overdose deaths:

"Unintentional overdose from nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol on the job has increased greatly over the last decade, now totaling 512 in 2023. While this is down from 2022, more must be done by employers to prevent these fatalities. Overdoses can happen anywhere, and the BLS report shows these medical emergencies can be fatal and are occurring in the workplace. This further makes overdose and naloxone awareness, access to naloxone in workplace first aid kids and other locations, and adoption of programs to ensure workplaces and their employees are equipped to save a life critical components to workplace safety."

Reference

Fatal injury counts and rates by occupation, industry and worker demographics are available at www.bls.gov/iif/fatal-injuries-tables.htm