Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley sits down with Megan Lockhart, Marketing and Media Communications Specialist, to discuss the recent data on fatal workplace injuries released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Show Notes: Register for the Heat Illness Prevention Webinar; Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter
Host: Alyssa Burley
Guest: Megan Lockhart
Editor: Jadyn Brandt
Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence
© Copyright 2024. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
transcript
Alyssa Burley: You’re listening to Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ podcast, where each week we break down complex insurance and safety topics to help your business thrive.
I’m your host, Alyssa Burley, and today I’m joined by Megan Lockhart, Marketing and Media Communications Specialist with Rancho Mesa. We’re going to discuss the recent data on fatal workplace injuries released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Megan, welcome to the show.
Megan Lockhart: Thanks for having me Alyssa.
AB: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (or BLS) has released their Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary for 2023. And this data is the latest that we currently have. So, let’s breakdown some of the trends we see in this report, and then we’ll dive into how those trends can help employers build a safety program.
Megan, what were some of the key findings in the 2023 report?
ML: Well, let’s start by looking at the big picture. According to the report, in 2023, a total of 5,283 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States. That’s a 3.7% decrease from 2022, so that is the good news,
Additionally, the report shared several key findings which include: 1,942 occupational fatalities—or 36.8% of all deaths—were caused by transportation incidents; and 740 fatalities were caused by violent acts, with the majority resulting from homicides; and opioids were found to be the source of 162 fatalities, and a contributor in an additional 144 drug-related fatalities.
AB: So, we’re seeing some reduction in workplace fatalities – likely a result of more effective safety programs and training. And, it makes sense that transportation incidents are such a large cause of fatal injuries. With employees driving to and from jobsites, there’s always a possibility of unsafe and distracted driving that’s happening on the roads.
ML: Yes, which is why it can be helpful to add regular driver trainings to your safety program.
AB: Agreed. Now, this report also looks at annual fatalities by occupation and industry. And, we have a lot of clients who work in construction, landscape and tree care industries.
Can you share some specific details about the data that was reported for the construction industry?
ML: Absolutely. So, 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.
Fall, slips, and trips were the most common types of fatalities, accounting for 39.2 percent of all construction fatalities, followed by transportation incidents which accounted for 22.3 percent of fatalities. Overall, construction fatalities increased 0.6 percent from 2022 to 2023, even though as a whole, workplace deaths have declined.
AB: Yeah, protecting employees from falls, slips and trips is especially important during winter months, when the ground might be covered in ice or snow. Or, really any time of year when a tripping hazard could cause someone to fatally hit their head.
And, it also makes you think twice about getting up on an icy roof first thing in the morning. It’s dangerous, especially when you’re not wearing proper fall protection. It’s just an accident waiting to happen. And, these types of fatal falls can often be prevented.
Now, we also insure human services organizations like home healthcare providers, non-profits, schools or daycare centers. So, what can you share about the data collected from the educational and health services industries?
ML: Yeah well, human services organizations saw a lot fewer workplace fatalities than we saw in the construction industry. Which is understandable with the nature of their work. However, the total number of fatalities within these types of human services organizations didn’t change from 2022 to 2023 with a total of 176 deaths occurring in both years. Now, transportation incidents accounted for 37.6 percent of fatalities within human services organizations. While violent acts were 16.3 percent and falls, slips and trips were 13.5 percent.
AB: Ok, so it looks like we have some work to do in both the construction industry and human services.
ML: Yeah well, we know transportation incidents were the number one cause of occupational deaths in 2023, overall. And, employers can continue to mitigate that risk through proper safety training and preparation.
AB: Absolutely, and Rancho Mesa has a variety of training tools available for use across multiple industries which can be accessed through our SafetyOne™ platform, including driver training, slip, trip and fall safety, fall protection and workplace violence prevention training.
Megan, if listeners have questions about building an effective safety program, what’s the best way to get in touch with our team?
ML: Clients can contact their Client Technology Coordinator for this information.
AB: All right, well Megan, thank you for joining me in StudioOne™.
ML: Thanks for having me!
