On December 16, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their final report summarizing the 2020 National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. For the first time in two years, the number of fatal work injuries is down, from 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent employees in 2019 to 3.4 fatalities per 100,000 in 2020.
Some of the key findings from the latest BLS report include:
- The 4,764 fatal occupational injuries in 2020 represents the lowest annual number since 2013.
- A worker died every 111 minutes from a work-related injury in 2020.
- Transportation incidents remained the most frequent type of fatal event with 1,778 fatal injuries, accounting for 37.3% of all work-related fatalities.
On a positive note, fatal transportation incidents fell 16.2% to 1,778 in 2020 from 2,122 in 2019. Even still, workers in transportation and material moving occupations and construction and extraction occupations accounted for nearly half of all fatal occupational injuries (47.4%), representing 1,282 and 976 workplace deaths, respectively.
Additionally, the number or rate of fatal injuries increased in other occupations. Fatal occupational injuries increased 18.6% among workers in law enforcement between 2019 and 2020, from 97 to 115. Fatalities in healthcare support occupations increased 15.8% to 44 fatalities, up from 38 in 2019.
Knowing these important statistics and preventing these incidents in your own workplace highlights the importance of safety training. From knowing how to recognize and prevent violence in the workplace to understanding the most common slip, trip and fall dangers, training can help make all employees aware of the correct steps to take to minimize workplace fatalities.
Contact SafetySkills today to learn more about our online safety training courses to help your employees stay safe and your organization get ahead of incidents in the coming year.
