Private Construction Industry Deaths Jumped 9% in 2014

The final count of fatal work injuries in the United States in 2014 was 4,821, up from the preliminary count of 4,679 reported in September 2015 and the highest annual total since 2008. The overall fatal work injury rate for the United States in 2014 was 3.4 fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, slightly higher than the final rate of 3.3 reported for 2013. The higher overall rate in 2014 is the first increase in the national fatal injury rate since 2010.

The final 2014 numbers reflect updates to the 2014 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) file made after the release of preliminary results in September 2015. Revisions and additions to the 2014 CFOI counts result from the identification of new cases and the revision of existing cases based on source documents received after the release of preliminary results. See the table that summarizes the preliminary and revised counts and rates for 2014.

Among the changes resulting from the updates:

The private construction industry saw a net increase of 25 fatal work injuries after updates were added, resulting in a revised count of 899. The 2014 total was 9% higher than the 2013 total and represented the largest number of fatal work injuries in private construction since 2008.

After the updates, fatal injuries in the private mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries rose to 183, the highest since 2007. Fatal work injuries in oil and gas extraction industries increased to 144 in 2014, a new high for that series.

The number of fatal work injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers rose to 804 after updates, but the final 2014 total was lower than the total for the prior year (817). The number of non-Hispanic Black or African-American workers who were fatally injured on the job in 2014 increased 4% from the preliminary count (457) to a revised count of 475. The total for non-Hispanic white workers rose by 5% after the updates to 3,332.

Workers age 55 and over incurred 1,691 fatal work injuries in 2014, increasing by 70 after updates were included. The 2014 figure represents the largest number ever recorded for this group of workers and is 8% larger than the next largest annual total.

Fatal work injuries due to roadway incidents were higher by 82 cases (8%) from the preliminary count, increasing the total number of deaths in 2014 to 1,157 cases. The final 2014 total represented a 5% increase from the final 2013 count.

Fatal falls, slips, and trips rose by 25 cases after updates, increasing the falls, slips, and trips total to 818 cases.

Overall, 33 States revised their fatal work injury counts upward as a result of the update.