2018 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries — 2019-12-17

There were 5,250 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2018, a 2 percent increase from the 5,147 in 2017, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See chart 1 and table 1.) The fatal work injury rate remained unchanged at 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers. (See chart 2.) These data are from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). - Transportation incidents remained the most frequent type of fatal event at 2,080, accounting for 40 percent of all work-related fatalities. (See chart 3 and table 2.) - Incidents involving contact with objects and equipment increased 13 percent (from 695 to 786), driven by a 39 percent increase in workers caught in running equipment or machinery and a 17 percent increase in workers struck by falling objects or equipment. - Unintentional overdoses due to nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol while at work increased 12 percent from 272 to 305.