If you work in a high-risk industry, safety is an essential workplace initiative to keep in mind. It's a front-of-mind priority to protect workers from harm.
Unfortunately, workplace safety remains an ongoing challenge for several industries. And there are several common factors regardless of the industry that put workers at risk.
Here are a few essential workplace safety facts that every EHS professional should keep in mind as they develop a workplace safety plan.
Workplace Injuries
One of the biggest concerns for EHS professionals across the board is workplace injuries and how to prevent them.
Unfortunately, workplace injuries happen far more often than you think. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, private industry employers reported 2.6 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2023, down 8.4% from 2022, and the lowest illness count since 2019. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries recorded 5,283 worker deaths that same year, a 3.7% decrease from 2022.
And make no mistake: safety related injuries are expensive. According to the National Safety Council's Injury Facts, the total cost of workplace injuries was $176.5 billion in 2023, or about $1,080 per worker and $43,000 per medically consulted injury. The cost also comes out in lost time: workplace injuries resulted in 103 million total days away from work in 2023.
The most common workplace injuries, based on BLS data on cases involving days away from work, include:
- Overexertion and bodily reaction
- Contact with objects and equipment
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Exposure to harmful substances or environments
Together, these four categories account for more than 75% of all nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving days away from work.
At-Risk Workplaces
All workplaces carry some degree of risk, but some workplaces are riskier than others.
According to the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, the 10 occupations with the highest fatal work injury rates in 2023 were:
- Logging workers (98.9 fatal injury rate)
- Fishing and hunting workers (86.9 fatal injury rate)
- Roofers (51.8 fatal injury rate)
- Refuse and recyclable material collectors (41.4 fatal injury rate)
- Helpers, construction trades (27.4 fatal injury rate)
- Driver/sales workers and truck drivers (26.8 fatal injury rate)
- Grounds maintenance workers (20.5 fatal injury rate)
- Miscellaneous agricultural workers (20.2 fatal injury rate)
- Structural iron and steel workers (19.8 fatal injury rate)
- Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers (19.0 fatal injury rate)
For comparison, the fatal injury rate across all workers in 2023 was 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers.
This makes sense when you remember that the most common work-related fatal events (falls, transportation incidents, and contact with objects or equipment) are far more likely in occupations that require manual labor in high-risk, often outdoor, work environments.
Common Workplace Safety Violations
Sadly, not every workplace does enough to keep workers safe from harm. According to OSHA, the most frequently cited standards in fiscal year 2024 (October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024) were:
- Fall Protection, general requirements (construction)
- Hazard Communication (general industry)
- Ladders (construction)
- Control of Hazardous Energy, lockout/tagout (general industry)
- Respiratory Protection (general industry)
- Powered Industrial Trucks (general industry)
- Fall Protection Training requirements (construction)
- Scaffolding (construction)
- Eye and Face Protection (construction)
- Machine Guarding (general industry)
Fall Protection has now topped OSHA's list for 14 consecutive years. You'll notice that the construction industry is a common player in these violations. The Fatal Four of construction (falls, struck-by-object accidents, electrocutions, and caught-in-between accidents) should come as no surprise, since falls alone accounted for roughly 39% of construction fatalities in 2023.
Utilizing Workplace Safety Facts
Knowing workplace safety facts is the first step towards keeping your employees and colleagues safe.
But if you're ready to take the next step, it's time to invest in the right tools. That's where we come in. We know that your workplace hazards are evolving, which is why we make EHS software solutions that adapt with you.
FAQ
How often does a workplace injury occur in the U.S.?
In 2023, private industry employers reported 2.6 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, while the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries recorded 5,283 worker deaths. Nonfatal cases dropped 8.4% from 2022, and fatalities dropped 3.7% over the same period.
What is the most common cause of workplace injury?
According to BLS data on cases involving days away from work, the leading causes are overexertion and bodily reaction, contact with objects and equipment, slips, trips and falls, and exposure to harmful substances or environments. Together these four categories account for more than 75% of all nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving days away from work.
What is the most dangerous job in the United States?
Logging workers have the highest fatal injury rate of any occupation, at 98.9 deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2023, according to the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Fishing and hunting workers (86.9) and roofers (51.8) round out the top three.
How much do workplace injuries cost employers each year?
The National Safety Council estimates the total cost of workplace injuries at $176.5 billion in 2023, or about $1,080 per worker and $43,000 per medically consulted injury. Workplace injuries also resulted in 103 million total days away from work that year.
What is OSHA's most frequently cited safety violation?
Fall Protection, general requirements (29 CFR 1926.501), has topped OSHA's list of most frequently cited standards for 14 consecutive years, including fiscal year 2024. Hazard Communication and Ladders round out the top three.
Why is the construction industry so heavily cited by OSHA?
Construction accounts for a large share of OSHA's top violations because of the Fatal Four hazards: falls, struck-by-object accidents, electrocutions, and caught-in-between accidents. Falls alone accounted for roughly 39% of construction fatalities in 2023.
