 The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released its' Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2015 and the statistics reveal a slight increase in the number of fatal work injuries for 2015.
4,836 workers died from work-related injuries in 2015. This figure represents an increase from the 4,821 fatal injuries reported in 2014 and is the highest annual total since 2008, while the rate of fatal workplace injuries in 2015 was 3.38 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers - down on the 2014 rate of 3.43.
Key findings
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- Annual total of 4,836 fatal workplace injuries in 2015
- The overall rate of fatal work injury for workers at 3.38 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, was lower than the 2014 rate of 3.43
- Hispanic/Latino workers incurred 903 fatal injuries in 2015 - the most since 937 fatalities were recorded in 2007
- Workers age 65 years and older incurred 650 fatal injuries, the second-largest number for the group since the national census began in 1992, but decreased from the 2014 figure of 684
- Roadway incident fatalities were up 9 % from 2014 totals, representing over one-quarter of the fatal occupational injuries in 2015
- Workplace suicides decreased 18 percent in 2015; while homicides were up 2 percent from 2014
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers recorded 745 fatal injuries, the most of any occupation
- The 937 fatal work injuries in the private construction industry in 2015 represented the highest total since 975 cases in 2008
- Fatal injuries in the private oil and gas extraction industries were 38 % lower in 2015 than 2014
- 17% of those who lost their lives were contracted by and performing work for another business or government entity in 2015 rather than for their direct employer at the time of the incident
The US Secretary for Labor, Thomas E. Perez commented:
"These numbers underscore the urgent need for employers to provide a safe workplace for their employees as the law requires. We have a moral responsibility to make sure that workers who showed up to work today are still alive to punch the clock tomorrow. The fact is, we know how to prevent these deaths. The U.S. Department of Labor is - and will always be - committed to working with employers, workers, community organizations, unions and others to improve safety and health in our nation's workplaces. This effort is essential to ensuring that no more workers are taken unnecessarily from their families." |
