Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has released their Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary for 2023. This data highlights important safety trends across multiple industries and demographics, and can be helpful in determining what areas an employer should look to emphasize in their safety program.
According to the report, a total of 5,283 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2023; a 3.7% decrease from 2022. The report shared several key findings, which include:
1,942 occupational fatalities—or 36.8% of all deaths—were caused by transportation incidents.
740 fatalities were caused by violent acts, with the majority resulting from homicides.
Opioids were found to be the source of 162 fatalities, and a contributor in an additional 144 drug-related fatalities.
Additionally, the report breaks down the annual fatalities by occupation and industry.
Since 2011, the construction industry has recorded the highest annual number of fatalities among all industry sectors and 2023 was no different. 1,075 construction deaths occurred in 2023. Slips, trips and falls were the most common types of fatalities, accounting for 39.2 percent (421) of all construction fatalities, followed by transportation incidents which accounted for 22.3 percent (240) of fatalities.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Human services organizations recorded significantly less workplace fatalities than the construction industry. However, the total number of fatalities within these types of human services organizations didn’t change from 2022 to 2023 with a total of 178 fatalities occurring in both years. Transportation incidents accounted for 37.6 percent (67) of fatalities within human services organizations, while violent acts were 16.3 percent (29) and falls, slips and trips were 13.5 percent (24) of fatalities.
Administrative and waste management and remediation services saw a total of 484 fatalities in 2023. Within that sector, the landscaping and grounds keeping occupation had the most fatalities (102), followed by tree trimmers and pruners (80). The report lists trees, logs, and limbs as the primary source of these deaths.
The risk of occupational fatalities can be mitigated through proper safety training and preparation. Rancho Mesa has a variety of training tools available for use across multiple industries which can be accessed through the SafetyOne™ platform, including driver training, slip, trip and fall safety, fall protection and workplace violence prevention training.
For more information about all the safety tools Rancho Mesa has to offer, contact your Client Technology Coordinator.