5,250 fatal work injuries were recorded in the U.S. in 2018, up from 5,147 in 2017.
The number of workplace fatalities ticked up in 2018 after a slight decline in 2017, according to an article from Safety News Alert. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 5,250 fatal work injuries recorded in the U.S. in 2018. This is a 2% increase over the prior year’s 5,147 workplace deaths.
The article cites a number of reasons for the increase including more incidents involving contact with objects and equipment, a greater number of unintentional overdoses and a rise in work-related suicides. The most frequent type of fatal event reportedly remained transportation incidents. While the number of fatalities for older workers (over 65) decreased, this population still reported a fatal injury rate more than double that of the all-worker rate.
