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The rate at which construction workers were injured or became ill on the job decreased in 2023, even as the raw number of workplace injuries increased, according to new data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Nov. 8.
Registered construction 2.3 non-fatal occupational injuries or illnesses per 100 full-time equivalent workers last year, according to the BLS, down from 2.4 in 2022. Seven of the 19 industries measured had higher incidence rates, with the construction rate falling just below of the overall average for all US industries of 2.4.
However, the raw number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses rose 2.1%, from 169,600 to 173,200, according to the BLS. Five industries accounted for more injuries and illnesses in 2023 than construction.
Overall, the private construction industry accounted for 6.7% of all recordable non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses in 2023, up from 6.0% in 2022.
The construction work injury rate has steadily declined since 2011
Incident rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time equivalent workers based on self-reported data by US private employers.
But the rate of nonfatal injuries has dropped in the past decade, according to Amber Trueblood, data center director for CPWR’s Silver Spring, Md.-based Construction Research and Training Center. The total rate of non-fatal recordable cases last year was 41 percent lower than in 2011, making it the lowest it has ever been in that time period, Trueblood said.
However, the data has flaws, Trueblood said. According to Trueblood, roughly 233,000 employers self-report it, and it excludes self-employed workers, farm workers with fewer than 10 employees, volunteers and federal government workers.
The numbers do not represent a consensus, but an estimate to help monitor health and safety, he said.
Chris Trahain Cain, executive director of CPWR, said she is optimistic, but called for more work to be done.
“While it’s important to keep in mind the limitations of the recordable injury rate, it’s encouraging to see the drop this year, especially since the rate is the lowest it’s been in a dozen years,” Cain said . “The rate is still too high, especially since there are proven methods to dramatically reduce injuries on construction sites.”
The report also measures only non-fatal injuries. The BLS will release data on industry fatalities in 2023 on December 19.
