This 2016 edition of Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, AFL-CIO's report on the state of safety and health protections for America’s workers, showed that in 2014 nearly 3.8 million workers across all industries reported work-related injuries and illnesses. In addition, 4,821 workers were killed on the job that year — a fatality rate of 3.4 per 100,000 workers, an increase from 2013's 3.3 per fatality rate.
Due to limitations in the current injury reporting system and widespread underreporting of workplace injuries, the injury and illness number understates the problem. The true toll is estimated to be two to three times greater — or 7.6 million to 11.4 million injuries and illnesses a year.
Study Reveals Benefits of Safety Management Practices in the Construction Industry
States with the highest fatality rates in 2014 were:
- Wyoming (13.1 per 100,000 workers)
- North Dakota (9.8 per 100,000 workers)
- Alaska (7.8 per 100,000 workers)
- South Dakota (7.2 per 100,000 workers)
- Mississippi (7.1 per 100,000 workers)
Transportation incidents, in particular roadway crashes, continue to be the leading cause of workplace deaths, responsible for 1,984 or 41% of all fatalities in 2014. Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles accounted for 24% of the fatal work injury total (1,157). Roadway incidents now are a leading cause of death for both men and women workers.
The number of fatalities from falls, slips or trips increased, with 818 fatal falls reported in 2014, compared with 724 fatal falls reported in 2013. Falls, slips or trips accounted for 17% of all fatalities in 2014 but accounted for 27% of fatalities among workers 65 years of age and older.
The construction industry was responsible for the greatest number of Latino worker deaths (233). Latino immigrant worker deaths in the construction industry have increased 32% since 2010.
(read the entire Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect report...)
