Workplace Fatalities & Injuries
231,809 accident injury records including 93,066 workplace fatalities from OSHA investigations.
Demographics
Gender and age breakdown of 231,809 workplace accident records investigated by OSHA.
By Gender
| Gender | Total | Fatalities | Fatality Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 173,846 | 71,626 | 41.2% |
| Unknown | 38,989 | 17,496 | 44.9% |
| Female | 18,974 | 3,944 | 20.8% |
By Age Group
| Age Group | Total | Fatalities | Fatality Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 1,344 | 560 | 41.7% |
| 18-25 | 30,850 | 9,960 | 32.3% |
| 26-35 | 50,234 | 16,640 | 33.1% |
| 36-45 | 44,500 | 16,794 | 37.7% |
| 46-55 | 36,791 | 16,183 | 44% |
| 56-65 | 22,926 | 11,680 | 50.9% |
| 65+ | 5,929 | 3,726 | 62.8% |
How Workers Die and Get Injured
Breakdown by event type, what actually happened in the workplace accident.
| # | Event Type | Total Cases | Fatalities | Fatality Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall (same or different level) | 50,234 | 25,200 | 50.2% |
| 2 | Struck by object | 47,622 | 14,831 | 31.1% |
| 3 | Caught in/between | 44,423 | 19,224 | 43.3% |
| 4 | Struck against object | 29,269 | 11,610 | 39.7% |
| 5 | Motor vehicle incident | 21,609 | 3,510 | 16.2% |
| 6 | Contact with temperature extreme | 11,581 | 7,794 | 67.3% |
| 7 | Exposure to harmful substance | 6,783 | 2,602 | 38.4% |
| 8 | Drowning/submersion | 6,520 | 5,998 | 92% |
| 10 | Repetitive motion | 4,566 | 1,217 | 26.7% |
| 11 | Overexertion | 1,379 | 222 | 16.1% |
| 12 | Rubbed/abraded by | 691 | 117 | 16.9% |
| 13 | Explosion | 688 | 375 | 54.5% |
| 14 | Assault/violent act | 529 | 152 | 28.7% |
| 15 | Fire | 396 | 214 | 54% |
By Injury Type
Nature of the injury sustained.
| # | Injury Type | Cases | Fatal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multiple injuries | 36,599 | 23,668 |
| 2 | Contusion/bruise | 36,219 | 11,910 |
| 3 | Amputation | 15,662 | 907 |
| 4 | Concussion | 12,546 | 3,033 |
| 5 | Fracture | 12,016 | 6,518 |
| 6 | Electric shock | 11,473 | 8,439 |
| 7 | Burn (heat) | 10,862 | 3,971 |
| 8 | Crushing injury | 9,798 | 7,522 |
| 9 | Cut/laceration | 7,371 | 1,406 |
| 10 | Sprain/strain | 4,379 | 344 |
| 11 | Chemical burn | 3,137 | 475 |
| 12 | Asphyxiation/suffocation | 1,864 | 873 |
| 13 | Freezing/frostbite | 1,795 | 45 |
| 14 | Dislocation | 891 | 156 |
| 15 | Puncture | 877 | 377 |
| 16 | Hearing loss | 419 | 25 |
| 17 | Gunshot wound | 233 | 127 |
| 18 | Poisoning | 188 | 4 |
| 19 | Dermatitis | 143 | 10 |
| 20 | Heat stroke/exhaustion | 120 | 28 |
| 21 | Inflammation | 120 | 50 |
| 22 | Respiratory condition | 69 | 14 |
By Body Part Affected
Which body parts are most commonly injured.
| # | Body Part | Cases | Fatal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trunk (chest/back/abdomen) | 28,557 | 16,538 |
| 2 | Body systems (internal) | 24,396 | 18,731 |
| 3 | Multiple body parts | 23,194 | 12,337 |
| 4 | Arm(s) | 14,930 | 172 |
| 5 | Upper extremities | 10,963 | 7,838 |
| 6 | Abdomen | 7,189 | 1,612 |
| 7 | Skull | 6,238 | 3,532 |
| 8 | Knee | 6,057 | 1,227 |
| 9 | Foot (not toes) | 6,002 | 593 |
| 10 | Lower extremities | 5,288 | 172 |
| 11 | Neck | 5,281 | 870 |
| 12 | Eyes | 4,990 | 504 |
| 13 | Head | 3,300 | 2,117 |
| 14 | Shoulder | 3,171 | 342 |
| 15 | Code 20 | 2,557 | 1,686 |
| 16 | Hip | 2,371 | 337 |
| 17 | Ankle | 1,843 | 101 |
| 18 | Toe(s) | 1,414 | 76 |
| 19 | Code 25 | 1,364 | 144 |
| 20 | Code 21 | 1,232 | 166 |
| 21 | Finger(s) | 1,206 | 26 |
| 22 | Leg(s) | 1,032 | 39 |
| 23 | Code 29 | 1,003 | 319 |
| 24 | Code 24 | 893 | 16 |
| 25 | Code 23 | 581 | 110 |
| 26 | Code 22 | 531 | 108 |
| 27 | Hand (not fingers) | 530 | 25 |
| 28 | Wrist | 310 | 10 |
| 29 | Code 27 | 183 | 111 |
| 30 | Code 30 | 99 | 26 |
| 31 | Code 26 | 76 | 17 |
Key Findings
Falls are the #1 killer. Falls (same or different level) account for more workplace fatalities than any other event type, followed by being struck by objects and caught in/between hazards. These three categories are known as the "Fatal Four" in construction.
Men account for 90% of all cases. This reflects the gender distribution in high-hazard industries like construction, manufacturing, and transportation.
Average age of injured workers: 39.9 years. Workers aged 46-55 have the highest number of incidents, while fatality rates increase with age due to reduced ability to recover from severe injuries.
Multiple injuries and body system damage are the most common injury types in fatal cases, indicating that workplace fatalities typically involve catastrophic trauma rather than isolated injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions
This data comes from OSHA's Accident Investigation database, which contains records of workplace accidents that resulted in fatalities, hospitalizations, or other serious injuries investigated by federal and state OSHA programs. Each record represents an individual worker involved in a workplace accident.
Construction, transportation and warehousing, agriculture, and manufacturing consistently rank among the most dangerous industries. Construction alone accounts for roughly 20% of all workplace fatalities in the United States, with falls being the leading cause of death. See our Industries page for detailed breakdowns.
OSHA identifies four leading causes of death in the construction industry, known as the "Fatal Four": Falls (36.4%), Struck by Object (10.1%), Electrocution (8.5%), and Caught-in/Between (1.4%). Together, these four hazards account for more than half of all construction worker deaths each year. Eliminating these four hazards would save over 500 lives annually.
You can file a complaint with OSHA online at osha.gov/workers/file-complaint, by calling 1-800-321-OSHA (6742), or by visiting your nearest OSHA area office. Complaints can be filed anonymously. OSHA protects workers from retaliation for reporting unsafe conditions, it is illegal for employers to fire, demote, or harass workers who report safety concerns.