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Construction counted last year the highest number of workplace deaths in the sector since 2011, according to recently released federal data. At the same time, the rate at which construction workers died on the job remained unchanged.
Construction had 1,075 fatalities in 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Work Injuries released Thursday. The measured BLS a fatal occupational accident rate of 9.6 deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, the same pace as a year ago.
The fatal injury rate a the construction has been around 10 for more than a decade.
Meanwhile, the BLS found falls, slips and trips — some of the industry’s deadliest hazards each year — accounted for 421, or 39.2 percent, of all construction fatalities.
The BLS reported that construction had the highest number of deaths of any private industry. However, it also listed 1,454 deaths in the trade, transport and utilities sector, a broad area that includes retail workers and transport and warehouse employees.
By the numbers
In total, 5,283 American workers died on the job last year, according to the BLS, which meant that about one in five workplace deaths in 2023 occurred in construction jobs.
The fatality rate of the construction sector, however, ranked third, behind agriculture, fishing, forestry and hunting (20.3) and transport and storage (12.9).
Digging deeper into the data, the majority of fatal falls in construction (260 or 64.4%) were from a height between 6 feet and 30 feet. Portable ladders and ladders were the leading source of 109 construction fatalities, the BLS said.
After falls, transport incidents were the second leading cause of death, with 240 occupational casualties. Transportation incidents record work-related injuries or fatalities that occur when an employee is affected while operating or working around a vehicle.
Fatal events or construction exposures in 2023
| cause | Number of deaths of construction workers |
|---|---|
| Falls, slips and trips | 421 |
| Transport incidents | 240 |
| Exposure to harmful substances, environments | 200 |
| Incidents of contact | 148 |
| Violent acts | 46 |
| Explosions and fires | 17 |
SOURCE: Office of Labor Statistics
BLS publishes data on both industry, which records the type of company someone works for, and occupation, which puts more value on what kind of work a person does.
In the occupations of construction and extraction, the the death rate declined modestlyfrom 13.0 in 2022 to 12.9 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2023. In gross numbers, 1,055 Construction and mining workers died in 2023one less than the previous year. Of these fatalities, 809 were construction workers.
construction had the most fatalities among all industry sectors in 2023
Number of 2023 fatal occupational injuries by industry.
Demographic breakdown
The overall fatality rate for American workers in all industries was about 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. For some groups, these rates were higher.
For example, the fatal injury rate for black or African-American workers in all industries was 3.6 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2023, higher than the national average but also lower than the rate of 4.2 the previous year.
Meanwhile, Hispanic or Latino workers in all industries had a death rate of 4.4. Again, it was lower than the previous year (4.6), but higher than the national average. Of the 1,250 Hispanic or Latino workers who died on the job in 2023, 839 were born abroadaccording to the BLS.
“More than 5,200 on-the-job deaths are still too many,” Jessica E. Martinez, executive director of the National Occupational Safety and Health Council, said in a statement. “We are also deeply concerned that black and brown workers continue to experience a higher rate of workplace fatalities, a sign of the lingering effects of discrimination in our workplaces.”
National COSH also drew attention to the number of deaths that are not counted as part of the report. For example, many workers die from long-term exposure to occupational hazards, and a recent Tampa Bay Times report found a large number of deaths due to heat in Florida it was not reported.
When it came to age groupsworkers aged 55 to 64 had the most on-the-job deaths at 1,089, although the 35-44 and 45-54 age groups also each had more than 1,000 work-related deaths.
Finally, the vast majority of those who died on the job in the US were men, just like women 8.5% of all workplace fatalities.
Industry response
Construction is dangerous work, and employers know it. Industry leaders have tried to find new ways to do this recording, understanding and preventing serious injuries and fatalitiesas researchers study methods for improve personal protective equipment in case of disaster.
Still, industry leaders acknowledge there is work to be done.
“Today’s data is a sad reminder of the challenge our industry faces in ensuring the health and safety of the men and women who build America,” said Brian Turmail, vice president of public affairs and labor from the Associated General Contractors of America. .
He said the AGC offers fall protection safety training, launched a trench safety coalition and continues to lobby state and federal officials to Improve safety in road work zones.
“No one should take any risk in this industry, which is why neither we nor our members will rest until we meet this challenge,” Turmail said. “In the meantime, we grieve with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in our industry.”
Greg Sizemore, vice president of health, safety, environment and workforce development for Associated Builders and Contractors, also called on employers to use the tools at their disposal to train, equip and empower their employees to recognize the risk
“Unfortunately, we are not seeing the gains or progress that we believe is favorable to the health and safety of construction workers,” Sizemore said. “We must also be relentless in ensuring that all employees arrive and leave workplaces in the same or better conditions than ever before.”
