Protecting people in their workplace is important, and that’s why workplace safety statistics are crucial. Knowing the latest statistics and ensuring that employees are safe should be a top priority for every company.
For example, which are some spheres where people suffer from work injuries?
How many people die from a work-related injury daily, monthly, or yearly?
Workplace Safety Stats (Editor’s Pick)
- In 2020, there were over 2.5 million non-fatal work injuries
- In 2019, there were 4,572 preventable work-related deaths
- There were over 4,750 fatal work-related injuries in 2020
- Six in ten people affected by a workplace injury were white in 2020
- In 2019, the work injury cost was $171 billion
- Finance and insurance had the lowest incidence rate per 100 full-time workers in 2020
- The biggest cause of workplace injuries in 2020 were transportation accidents
- Construction accounted for over 174,000 injuries in 2020
Worker Safety Statistics
How common is it for a workplace injury to happen? Are companies doing enough to provide their employees with enough protection in their workplace? What are some of the industries where people suffer most from workplace injuries? How many deaths occur in a year due to a workplace injury? We can gain greater insight into these numbers with the following workplace safety facts.
1. There were 2.7 million non-fatal work injuries in 2020.
(BLS)
Workplace safety facts from 2020 suggest that private industry employers reported 2.7 million non-fatal work injuries. The incidence rate of total recordable cases (TRC) in the private industry was 2.7 cases per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers.
2. Health care had the highest 2020 incidence rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses (5.5 per 100 full-time workers).
(BLS)
It is not surprising that nurses and people who work in the medical field are one of the most affected when it comes to workplace injuries.
Work-related injuries statistics demonstrate that in 2020, there were 806,200 private industry injury and illness cases in the health care and social assistance sector. Moreover, over half ended in at least one day away from work.
3. Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting had the second-highest incidence rate per 100 full-time workers in 2020.
(BLS)
The OSHA recordable incident rate by industry suggests that this industry had an incidence rate of 4.6 per 100 full-time workers. However, when looking at the number of cases by industry, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting took the 11th position.
Moreover, transportation and warehousing came in third place of industries with most work-related injuries, with a rate of 4.0 per 100 full-time workers.
4. The industry with the lowest incidence rate per 100 full-time workers in 2020 was finance and insurance.
(BLS)
The latest work injury statistics show that this industry had a nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses incidence rate of 0.3 per 100 full-time workers. The situation was similar in 2019 when the rate was 0.5 — again representing the lowest one among the industries.
5. The number of preventable work-related deaths in 2019 was 4,572.
(NSC)
The most recent workplace safety statistics suggest that in 2019 the number of preventable work-related deaths rose 2% compared to that of the previous year. In addition, the number of preventable work injuries which needed a medical consult was over 4.6 million.
6. In 2020, there were approximately 174,100 injuries in construction.
(BLS)
Statistics about different professions provide us with a better understanding of which professions may be less safe than others. In comparison, construction accident statistics indicate that in 2019, there were 200,100 injuries in construction.
7. Most non-fatal injuries are due to falls, slips, or trips.
(MarcheseComp)
Workplace safety stats suggest that most people get injured in the workplace because of falls, slips, or trips. Fall statistics imply that these can happen for several reasons: wet surfaces, poor lighting, icy weather, and more.
The second leading cause of non-fatal injuries is being struck by or caught in moving machinery. These types of accidents are more common in factories, the farming industry, as well as construction.
Workplace Death Statistics in USA
8. 4,764 fatal work-related injuries were recorded in 2020.
(BLS)
This number means that an employee died every 111 minutes from a work-related injury in 2020. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries suggests that the statistics for 2020 show a decrease in numbers compared to 2019.
Moreover, the 2020 workplace death statistics show the lowest number since 2013.
9. Men were affected much more than women.
(BLS)
According to recent facts, men were 11 times more likely to suffer a fatal work-related injury than women. Only 387 women were victims of such injuries, while these safety in the workplace facts show that the number for men was a whopping 4,377 in 2020.
The fact that men suffer more and these shockingly high numbers come at a time and in a period when the stride towards balancing the number of men and women in the workplace is more significant than ever before.
10. Transportation accidents were the biggest cause of workplace injuries in 2020.
(BLS)
The latest workplace homicide statistics suggest that the highest number of employees suffered in transportation accidents, a total of 1,778, in 2020. Out of all transportation accidents, the high numbers indicate that most fatalities happened in roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles.
According to the latest available OSHA safety statistics, the number of workplace violence victims or other inflicted injuries by persons or animals was 705 in 2020. These include cases such as suicides and homicides. Suicide statistics show that police officers, firefighters, and veterans are among those who often suffered trauma during work and resort to suicide.
About 71 people were victims of fires or explosions in the workplace, while 805 died because of a fall, slip, or trip. Reasons such as exposure to harmful substances or environments and contact with objects and equipment resulted in 672 and 716 deaths, respectively.
11. People belonging to the age group, 55-64 years old, suffered the most.
(BLS)
Diving deeper into the data, we can see that not all age groups were equally affected by a fatal workplace injury. For example, some workplace accident statistics demonstrate that people between 55 and 64 years of age were fatally hurt in 1,051 cases in 2020.
Following this, ranked second is the age group 45-54, out of which 954 people were victims of a fatal work-related injury.
12. White people accounted for 60% of people affected by a workplace injury.
(BLS)
According to the latest data available on workplace death statistics, white (non-Hispanic) people accounted for 60% (2,898) of fatal workplace injuries. This number is followed by Hispanic people. The newest stats suggest that Hispanic people made up 22.5% of fatal workplace injuries.
African-American workers, Asian workers, other races or the ones not reported, American Indian workers, and Alaskan Native workers, were less affected than the previously mentioned groups. Least affected by a fatal workplace injury were people of multiple races and workers who are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Highlanders.
13. Transportation and material moving occupations accounted for almost 27% of all fatal workplace injuries.
(BLS)
Taking a closer look at the statistics for workplace deaths by occupation, we can conclude that people working in transportation and material moving occupations were affected in the most significant numbers.
Similarly, people working in construction and extraction occupations came second on this list of fatal workplace injuries.
Workplace Injury Statistics by State
The following part will explore the numbers of workplace injuries by the state as represented through incidence rates. Incident rates constitute the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers using 200,000 hours as the equivalent. Next, we’ll take a closer look at which states have the highest rates, as well as which states have the lowest rates.
14. Vermont leads with the biggest incidence rates.
(NSC)
Workplace safety facts suggest that Vermont is the leading state when it comes to high incidence rates.
Vermont was the only state that had incidence rates above 4. The total number of recordable cases for Vermont that the latest data shows is 4.7. The DART number includes cases involving days away from work and cases involving days of job transfer or restriction, accounting for an incidence rate of 2.3.
15. Washington has incidence rates of 4.
(NSC)
According to the latest occupational injury statistics, Washington is among the states with the highest incident rates. It comes second with incidence rates of 4. Cases involving days away from work have an incidence rate of 1. Meanwhile, cases involving days of job transfer or restriction have an incidence rate of 1.3.
16. Louisiana is among the states with the lowest incidence rates.
(NSC)
Looking more at the job injuries statistics by state, we can note that the District of Columbia and Louisiana have the lowest incidence rates. The number of total recordable cases was measured at an incidence rate of 1.7 for the District of Columbia and 1.8 for Louisiana. The incidence rate for DART cases was measured at 0.8 for both states.
Measuring close to Louisiana and the District of Columbia are also Texas (2), New York (2.2), Arkansas (2.2).
Workers Compensation Statistics
17. The most costly injuries were those that resulted from motor vehicle accidents.
(NSC)
According to the latest data available, accidents that involved a motor vehicle were the most costly. The compensation for these averaged a cost of $78,466 per worker compensation claim. This number is almost twice the average ($41,003). Out of the total spent on motor-vehicle accident compensations, more than half was spent on medical bills, while the rest was spent on indemnity.
Workers compensation statistics show three more types of injuries that resulted in above-average costs: burns, falls or slips, and instances where employees were caught or compressed by equipment.
Over half of the compensation was spent on medical bills and the rest on indemnity costs. Of all workplace injuries, scrapes and punches were the least costly.
18. According to workers comp stats from 2019, the total work injury cost was around $171 billion.
(NSC)
Of that sum, administrative expenses totaled $59.7 billion, wage and productivity losses — $53.9 billion, and medical expenses — $35.5 billion.
Moreover, the sum mentioned above also covers $13.3 billion of employers’ uninsured costs, $5 billion of damage to motor vehicles in work-related injuries, and $3.7 billion of fire losses. The cost per worker that year was $1,100.
19. Amputation resulted in high compensation.
(NSC)
Recent data showing workplace accident statistics point out that amputation is the most costly work injury. On average, more than $100,000 per claim was the amount that victims of workplace amputation received. The second most expensive injury, according to its nature, was a fracture, crash, or dislocation. Victims of these received almost $50,000 less than the amount received for amputation.
20. Most costly compensation claims resulted from injuries to the head.
(NSC)
Latest workers compensation claims statistics show that the most costly lost-time workers compensation claims by part of the body are those involving the head. Injuries to the head or the central nervous system resulted in an average of $92,439 per claim. Nearly two-thirds of the sum went on medical bills.
Injuries to multiple body parts averaged a cost of $68,749 per claim, as the most recent info suggests. In cases when the neck was hurt, the average cost per claim was $61,510. Moreover, OSHA accidents statistics show that the other injuries that resulted in above-average costs were injuries to the hip, thighs, or pelvis, injuries to the leg, arm, or shoulders, and injuries to the chest or other organs. These statistics give us great insight into which body parts result in a compensation claim, and which are the most costly and the least expensive.
Workplace safety statistics – The bottom line
A working environment is a place where people usually spend eight hours a day. That is why all of these stats are of great importance for companies and employees and future employees. In a safe working environment, people tend to be more relaxed, efficient, and productive.
All companies should strive to make the workplace environment a safe space, considering all its benefits. Not only should the companies try to ensure safety, but governments should always push for better control measures. In addition, employers should ensure safety by informing themselves about these workplace safety stats, while employees should always uphold them. For example, if you work at a dangerous job where you might need a weapon to protect yourself, you can look at the best handgun safes to buy in 2022 to ensure that your weapon is stashed safely. If you are interested in non-lethal protection, choosing the best stun gun would be a good solution.
Additionally, if you want more information on this subject, you can check out this guide on how to find the best gun safe. Finally, you can read the pros and cons of all of the safes and make the right choice.
People Also Ask
How many workplace accidents occur each year?
There are workplace accidents of different types. The International Labour Organization estimates that around 2.3 million people worldwide succumb to work-related injuries yearly.
The latest numbers for the USA have shown 2.8 million work-related accidents for two years in a row. These numbers include both minor and major injuries, as well as fatal injuries that result in death.
What are the top 3 causes of fatalities to workers?
Different causes led to deaths in the workplace. Transportation incidents are on the top of the list, with some 2,122 casualties. These include aircraft incidents, rail vehicle incidents, pedestrian vehicular incidents, water vehicle incidents, roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles, and non-roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles.
The second cause is falls, slips, and trips. The latest statistics on workplace safety show 880 instances of fatalities because of falls, slips, or trips. These include both slips on the same level and slips to a lower level. Wet surfaces, poor lighting, and bad weather are just three reasons for falls, slips, and trips.
Workplace fatality statistics suggest that contact with objects and equipment is the third leading cause of fatality for workers in the workplace. A total of 732 fatalities have been reported due to workers being struck by an object or equipment, caught, hit, or compressed by equipment or objects, caught or crushed in a collapsing structure, equipment, or material. Thus, the previously mentioned causes are the top three causes of fatalities among workers.
What are the five most common causes of workplace accidents?
The available data tells us that the number one cause for workplace accidents is falling, slips, and trips that can happen due to many reasons. The second cause is being struck by or caught in moving machinery. This is followed by vehicle-related accidents that are also quite common. Fire and explosions are fourth on the list, while repetitive stress and overexertion injuries are the cause that landed in fifth place.
How important is workplace safety?
Safety in the workplace is something that we can’t talk enough about! Injuries in the workplace don’t affect just the injured persons. They affect their families, their colleagues, and the company they work for. Leaving a company open for several safety violations can lead to terrible consequences for the said company.
On top of that, when workers know that they are part of a safe working environment, the morale is higher, resulting in more satisfied workers who are consequently more productive and dedicated to the job.
What are the basic rules of safety in the workplace?
The primary workplace safety rules advise workers never to take shortcuts in their work and always read the manuals regarding any machinery. Workers should always stay alert and attentive at their job to minimize any chances for accidents. Furthermore, if machinery is supposed to be operated with a safety harness, workers should never skip putting it on. Workers should never operate a machine that they’re not fully trained on. Additionally, they should always ask questions if they’re unsure about the use of a machine. These workplace safety statistics tell us why everyone should try to follow the basic rules of safety in the workplace.
