Workplace Fatality Statistics

In this blog post, we cover workplace fatality statistics as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

We’ll provide a detailed analysis of workplace deaths by age group, event type, occupation, and industry sector. Next, well discuss Texas state-specific statistics, insights from the Texas Department of Insurance and key findings from the AFL-CIO’s annual “Death on the Job” report

Let’s begin.

Bureau of Labor Statistics Data

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is responsible for gathering and compiling data on the workforce.

According to the BLS, they reported 5,486 fatal workplace injuries during their most recent report.

Vehicle and transportation occupations consistently had the highest number of fatalities, while farming, fishing, and forestry had the highest fatality rate out of all the occupations.

Individuals who work in construction or extraction are also at a high risk of work fatalities.

Below is a breakdown of workplace fatalities provided by the BLS.

Death by Age Group

Fatal injuries can occur in any age group, but individuals between the ages of 25 and 64 years of age are the most at risk for workplace fatalities.

This core age demographic is most at risk during their prime working years.

Under 16 years – 6
16-17 years – 13
18-19 years – 77
20-24 years – 323
25-34 years – 962
35-44 years – 1,058
45-54 years – 1,111
55-64 years – 1,175
65 years and over – 761

Death by Event Type

Workplace fatalities are broken down into a few broad categories. Each category examines the types of accidents that occurred to cause the death.

There are six main categories of fatal injuries by event or exposure. Each number represents the total number of deaths for that category during the most recent report.

Transportation incidents – 2,066
Falls, slips, trips – 865
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals – 849
Exposure to harmful substances or environments – 839
Contact with objects and equipment – 738
Fires and explosions – 107

Each category can be further broken down into specific accidents related to that category that resulted in death.

Common transportation incident events include:

Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles – 1,369
Pedestrian vehicular incidents – 325
Non-roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles – 185
Aircraft incidents – 101
Rail vehicle accidents – 43
Water vehicle incidents – 31
Animal and other non-motorized vehicle transportation accidents – 11

Common fall, slip, and trip accident events include:

Falls to lower level – 700
Falls on the same level – 144
Jumps to lower level – 7
Fall or jump curtailed by personal fall arrest system – 3

Common object and equipment contact fatalities include:

Struck by object or equipment – 484
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects – 142
Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material – 95
Struck against object or equipment – 12

Common events involving violence and injuries by people or animals include:

Intentional injury by person – 791
Animal and insect-related incidents – 33
Injury by person, unintentional or intent unknown – 24

Common harmful substance or environment exposure events include:

Exposure to other harmful substances – 586
Exposure to electricity – 145
Exposure to oxygen deficiency – 56
Exposure to extreme temperatures – 51

Common fire and explosion events include:

Explosions – 54
Fires – 53

Death by Fatality Rate

Workplace fatality rates report the number of deaths per 100,000 full-time workers. Unlike the section above, which shows the total number of deaths, the fatality rate is proportional to that group or category overall. Based on this metric, farming, fishing, and forestry occupations have the highest rates of deaths.

Farming, fishing, and forestry – 23.5
Transportation and material moving – 14.6
Construction and extraction – 13.0
Protective service – 10.2
Installation, maintenance, and repair – 8.8
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance – 7.4

Death by Occupation

Some occupations are more dangerous than others, and therefore have a higher risk of death on the job.

While this could be due to chemicals, hazardous equipment, human error and more, no occupation is immune to risks and fatalities. Once again, the transportation and construction sectors rank at the top of the list for occupations responsible for fatalities in the workplace.

Transportation and material moving – 1,620
Construction and extraction – 1,056
Service – 909
Installation, maintenance, and repair – 431
Management, business, and financial operations – 374
Production – 268
Professional and related – 245
Farming, fishing, and forestry – 223
Sales and related – 212
Office and administrative support – 82

Death by Private Industry Sector

There are several occupations within the private industry sector that are also susceptible to work-related fatalities. This facet of the workplace includes non-government-related businesses and entities.

Construction – 1,069
Transportation and warehousing – 1,053
Professional and business services – 598
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting – 417
Manufacturing – 404
Leisure and hospitality – 306
Retail trade – 301
Other services – 200
Educational and health services – 178
Wholesale trade – 171.

Top States for Workplace Fatalities

Fatality numbers vary by state and are not distributed evenly. A variety of factors can affect a state’s working conditions, safety regulations, and more. There are several states with high numbers of fatal work injuries.

Texas – 578
California – 504
Florida – 307
New York – 251
North Carolina – 217
Georgia – 209
Pennsylvania – 183
Illinois – 177

Workplace Accidents in Texas

Texas has the highest rate of workplace accidents across the U.S. A report by the Texas Department of Insurance takes a closer look at the data that make up these metrics and which areas are more vulnerable than others to fatal injuries.

The state saw an 8% increase in deaths between the most recent year reported and the one before it. There was a 19% increase between the most recent year and two years prior. Ninety-two percent of fatalities came from private sector workers.

Texas Fatalities by Industry

Texas has several industries and occupations that drive its economy. Some industries are more prone to accidents than others. Similar to the national statistics, Texas workplace fatalities rank the highest among the transportation, trade, and utilities industries.

Trade, transportation, and utilities – 179
Construction – 140
Natural resources and mining – 61
Professional and business services – 45
Manufacturing – 34
Local government – 34
Leisure and hospitality – 23
Education and health services – 19
Other services, except public administration – 17
Federal government – 9
State government – 6

The mining industry is also a large part of Texas’ local economy and is considered high-risk work. Oil workers can be killed in various roles within the industry.

Support activities for oil and gas operations – 73%
Drilling oil and gas wells – 17%
Other – 10%

Texas Fatality Numbers by Occupational Group

Texas has many occupations that can be grouped together into overarching categories. Each occupational group faces its own set of challenges and risks to workers.

Transportation and material moving – 197
Construction and extraction – 133
Installation, maintenance, and repair – 57
Protective service – 35
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance – 28
Production – 23
Sales and related – 16
Management – 31
Farming, fishing, and forestry – 9
Office and administrative support – 9
Food preparation and serving – 5
Personal care and service – 3

Occupations With the Largest Number of Fatalities in Texas

roofer Of the various groupings, some specific occupations are responsible for more fatalities than others. Occupations where workers spend the majority of their time driving are responsible for the largest number of fatalities.

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers – 153
Construction laborers – 30
Ground Maintenance workers – 23
Roofers – 16
Electricians – 13
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers – 11
Laborers and material movers – 11
Roustabouts, oil, and gas – 11
Maintenance and repair workers, general – 10
Carpenters – 8

Texas Workplace Fatalities by Event

The types of events most likely to cause a workplace fatality in Texas are the same as those reported by the BLS. However, the Texas Department of Insurance report focuses on state-specific data. These percentages are as follows:

Transportation incidents – 48%
Falls, slips, trips – 15%
Contact with objects and equipment – 12%
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals – 12%
Exposure to harmful substances or environments – 11%
Fires and explosions – 2%

Texas Workplace Fatalities by Location

Accidents can occur anywhere and at any time, but data shows that the majority of work-related accidents in Texas occur on roadways and in industrial occupations. Accidents across industries and occupations are most likely to occur in one of six primary areas.

Street and highway – 45%
Industrial place and premises – 20%
Public building – 12%
Home – 11%
Other not reported – 9%
Farm – 2%

The Role of OSHA

Many workplace fatalities are preventable with the right training, precautions, and regulations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for overseeing and governing workplace conditions and implementing procedures to increase workplace safety and prevention measures. OSHA has the authority to set and enforce workplace laws and practices, offer training resources, and cite violations of work-related safety regulations.

The most common OSHA standards violations and their industries include:

Fall protection – construction
Hazard communication – general industry
Ladders – construction
Scaffolding – construction
Powered industrial trucks – general industry
Control of hazardous energy – general industry
Respiratory protection – general industry
Fall protection training – construction
Eye and face protection – construction
Machinery and machine guarding – general industry.

Key Findings by the AFL-CIO

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) ensures workers receive fair treatment and improved working conditions. They are also composed of 60 unions and work to influence rules for trade, legislation, and the health of the work economy. Every year, the AFL-CIO publishes its Death on the Job report to provide data on the health and safety of employees across the country.

Key Findings From the AFL-CIO Report

The most recent report by the AFL-CIO reviewed conditions and safety measures in the workplace, what actions are actively being taken to minimize workplace hazards, and what work still needs to be accomplished to improve conditions further.

Workplace injuries and fatalities cost employers billions of dollars annually and also impact the economy as a result.

Some key findings from the report showing the overarching causes of workplace fatalities include:

Occupational diseases – 120,000
Unintentional overdoses – 525
Homicides and violent deaths – 524
Hazardous conditions – 344
Suicides – 267
Heat – 43

States with the Highest Fatality Rates

When calculating workplace fatalities per 100,000 people, a handful of states emerge as the leaders in fatal work-related injuries. Fatal work accidents are much more likely to happen in these states than in any other.

Wyoming – 12.7
North Dakota – 9.8
Mississippi – 6.9
New Mexico – 6.8
West Virginia – 6.8
Louisiana – 6.4

Industries with the Highest Fatality Rates

While transportation industries are responsible for the highest number of deaths, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting have the highest fatality rate per 100,000 people. In this metric, the increased rate shows which industries are much more likely to experience fatal work injuries.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing and hunting – 18.6
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction – 16.6
Transportation and warehousing – 14.1
Construction – 9.6
Wholesale trade – 5.4

Williams Hart & Boundas Can Help if You’ve Lost a Loved One to a Workplace Fatality

If your loved one has been tragically killed in a workplace accident, you may be able to take legal action to get justice on their behalf.

An experienced Houston work accident lawyer from William Hart & Boundas can provide you with experienced and compassionate representation to get you the compensation you need to move forward. Our team provides unwavering support and advocacy from start to finish.