A day’s work can be dangerous to well-being, no matter where you work or what you do. And while some jobs are generally safe, others can be quite hazardous. What are the actual numbers, however? Read our work injury statistics to find out just that.
- The total number of injuries per 100 full-time workers remained unchanged at 2.8 in 2020.
- Workplace injury rates have been on the decline since 1972, dropping by 75%.
- Occupational fatalities increased by 2% in 2019.
- 40% of all occupational fatalities in 2019 were attributed to transportation incidents.
- Slips, trips, and falls, overexertion, bodily reactions, as well as contact with objects and equipment account for more than 84% of all non-fatal injuries involving days away from work.
- In the US, 36,840 injuries in workplaces were caused by exposure to harmful substances or environments in 2020.
- About 2.3 million people worldwide have work-related accidents every year.
General Work Injury Statistics
1. Slips, trips, falls, overexertion, bodily reactions, and contact with objects and equipment account for more than 84% of all non-fatal injuries involving days away from work.
2. About 2.3 million people worldwide have work-related accidents every year.
The International Labor Organization reports that every year, 2.3 million men and women experience accidents (injuries or exposure to diseases) while working. This translates into over 6,000 deaths every single day.
3. There are about 340 million occupational accidents and 160 million victims of work-related illnesses annually.
Occupational injuries are a commonplace occurrence, with 340 million occupational accidents happening every year. There are 160 million victims of work-related illnesses annually.
Workplace Death Statistics
4. 40% of all occupational fatalities in 2019 were attributed to transportation incidents.
Transportation incidents were the leading cause of occupational fatalities in 2019, causing about 40% of the total number. The 2,122 deaths represent a 2% increase from the previous year’s numbers.
5. Latino workers experienced 3.7 fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers from 2018 to 2020.
Despite the number of fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers in the US falling from 4.2 in 2006 to 3.5 in 2018, Latino workers had a higher average death rate, experiencing 3.7 fatal occupational injuries per 100,000.
6. 20% of worker fatalities in 2019 in the US private sector were in construction.
Workplace fatality statistics by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration revealed that about 20% of worker fatalities in the private industry for the year 2019 were in construction.
7. In 2019, there were about 15 deaths every day or more than 100 each week in the US work industry.
More than 100 workers a week or 15 people per day were reported to have died in their workplace in 2019 on average.
8. A total of 111 workers were killed at work in Great Britain in 2019/20.
According to workplace injury statistics for 2020 gathered by the Health and Safety Executive, 111 workers died in their workplace in Great Britain in 2019/20; 38 less than in the previous year.
9. Hazardous substances alone are estimated to cause approximately 650,000 deaths per year.
According to an International Labor Organization report, diseases related to work cause the most deaths among workers. More than 650,000 deaths globally were caused by hazardous substances alone. The same report found that older and younger workers were at higher risk of workplace injuries.
10. $5.82 billion was appropriated for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the fiscal year 2020.
Federal appropriations for OSHA in 2020 amounted to $581,787,000. For 2019, $557,787,000 was appropriated.
11. There are 1,850 inspectors working for OSHA.
As of 2020, OSHA employs 1,850 inspectors responsible for the well-being of 130 million workers. They are employed at more than eight million worksites around the US. This means there is approximately one compliance officer for every 70,000 workers.
12. There were more than 33,000 OSHA federal inspections for the fiscal year of 2019.
There were 33,393 total federal inspections in 2019 and 42,063 total State Plan inspections.
Work Injury Statistics for the US
13. The total number of injuries per 100 full-time workers remained unchanged at 2.8 in 2020.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employer-Related Workplace Injuries and Illnesses News Release, as of November 2020, 2.8 of every 100 workers were injured at their workplace. This number has remained unchanged since 2018.
14. Occupational fatalities increased by 2% in 2019.
While there was a decline in workplace injuries, work accidents statistics for fatalities paint a grim picture: 5,333 workplace fatalities were recorded in 2019, representing a 2% increase in fatalities from 2018. As a matter of fact, since 2010, the number of fatalities has been on the rise.
15. US workplace injury rates have been on the decline since 1972, dropping by 75%.
As of 2019, the US recorded nearly 50 years of gradually reduced occupational hazards, as workplace injuries have decreased by 75% since 1972.
16. Direct costs of the top 10 most disabling US workplace injuries in 2020 amounted to $52.93 billion.
Workplace injury statistics by Statista inform us that the top 10 most disabling US workplace injuries had a total direct cost of $52.93 billion.
17. Overexertion involving outside sources was responsible for 23.5% of all workplace injuries in the US.
This made it the leading cause of most disabling US workplace injuries in 2020. In second place were the falls on the same level, responsible for 18.2% of all injuries. Being struck by an object or equipment and falling on a lower level accounted for 10.3% and 9.6% of disabling injuries, respectively.
18. Nearly 37,000 injuries in workplaces were caused by exposure to harmful substances or environments.
Exposure to harmful substances or environments was the sixth most common cause of occupational injuries in 2019 in the US, accounting for almost 37,000 injuries.
Workplace Injury Statistics by State
19. California and Texas had the highest number of workplace deaths for 2019: 451 and 608, respectively.
These two states also had the most workplace injuries - 3,799 in California and 1,876 in Texas. However, despite these high numbers, these states had relatively low rates of work-related fatalities. California had 2.3 fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers, and Texas had 3.8 per 100,000.
20. Alaska had the highest incidence and fatality rates for the number of accidents per 100 full-time workers.
While Alaska may not have had the highest number of injuries or fatalities, with 14.1 incidents and fatalities for the number of accidents per 100 full-time workers, it has the highest incidence and fatality rates in the US.
Most Common Workplace Injuries According to OSHA
21. OSHA estimates that powered industrial trucks or forklifts are responsible for around 96,700 injuries every year.
Of these injuries, 35,000 are considered severe.
22. Explosions and fires are responsible for 3% of workplace injuries.
They also have the highest casualty rate of all probable workplace accidents.
It would seem as though completely eradicating workplace accidents is impossible. With so many high-risk industries such as construction, the chance that there could occasionally be an accident leading to serious injury or death is highly probable.
However, work injury statistics show that each year, the number of these accidents in the US is decreasing thanks to regulatory bodies such as OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as increased compliance with work safety guidelines.