The latest construction injury statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a sharp increase in fatal injuries. The rate for fatal injuries is now at 10 per 100,000 full-time workers, up from 9.6 a year ago. The number of fatal injuries in construction also increased for males and Hispanics, as well as those younger than 55. Slips, trips, and falls accounted for a majority of injury events and exposures in construction, resulting in 376 fatal injuries and more than 22,000 non-fatal injuries.
In the United States, construction workers made up 7.3% of the total workforce. In the global economy, construction workers accounted for 21.7% of all deaths due to workplace accidents. Fatalities and injuries among construction workers soared between 2011 and 2020. In addition, the number of fatalities due to hard hats also increased. During the same time period, a pandemic called Covid-19 affected construction activity worldwide. This caused a significant increase in the fatality rate, which hit a record high in 2020.
Despite these statistics, the number of fatal construction injuries is still high. In 2019, over 100 workers died at construction sites, accounting for 20 percent of all work-related deaths. The Bureau of Labor Statistics published the Employer-Related Workplace Injuries and Illnesses News Release in which it listed construction-related deaths and injuries.
