Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2024

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Thursday, February 19, 2026                                                       USDL-26-0230
Technical information:	(202) 691-6170 • iifstaff@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/iif
Media contact:		(202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov

NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES IN 2024
There were 5,070 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2024, down 4.0 percent from 5,283 in 
2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See chart 1 and table 1.) The fatal work injury rate 
was 3.3 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2024, a decrease from a rate of 3.5 in 2023. 
(See chart 2.) These data are from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI).

(Charts 1 and 2 appear here in the printed release) 

Key findings 

  - A worker died every 104 minutes from a work-related injury in 2024 compared to 99 minutes in 2023.
  - The fatal injury rate of 3.3 fatalities per 100,000 FTE workers decreased for the second year in a row. 
  - The decrease in fatal injuries in 2024 was largely driven by a 16.2 percent drop in fatalities due to  
    exposure to harmful substances or environments (to 687 cases from 820). This decrease was in turn 
    driven by a decline in drug or alcohol overdoses which accounted for 59.7 percent of fatalities in this 
    category, dropping to 410 fatal injuries in 2024 from 512 fatalities in 2023. 
  - Workers in transportation and material moving occupations represented the occupational group with the 
    most fatalities with 1,391 fatal work injuries in 2024, though this was a 7.0-percent decrease from 2023 
    (1,495). The fatality rate for these workers was 12.5 fatalities per 100,000 FTE workers in 2024, down 
    from 13.6 in 2023.

Worker characteristics

  - The fatal injury count and rate for Black or African American workers decreased in 2024. The count 
    decreased to 624 in 2024 from 659 in 2023 and the rate decreased to 3.4 fatalities per 100,000 FTE 
    workers in 2024 from 3.6 in 2023. 
  - The fatal injury rate for Hispanic or Latino workers dropped to 4.3 fatalities per 100,000 FTE workers in
    2024 from 4.4 in 2023. Of the 1,229 fatalities to these workers in 2024, 68.5 percent (842) occurred 
    among foreign-born Hispanic or Latino workers. 
  - Women accounted for 8.1 percent (413) of all worker fatalities but 15.3 percent (72) of fatalities due to 
    homicides in 2024. 

Fatal event or exposure

  - Transportation incidents continue to be the most frequent type of fatal event, accounting for 38.2 percent 
    of all occupational fatalities in 2024. The total number of fatal transportation incidents decreased to
    1,937 in 2024 from 1,942 in 2023.
  - Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles decreased 8.5 percent to 1,146 in 2024 from 1,252 
    in 2023, while pedestrian incidents involving motorized land vehicles increased 19.0 percent to 369 in 
    2024 from 310 in 2023.
  - Fatal falls, slips, and trips decreased 4.6 percent to 844 in 2024 from 885 in 2023. In 2024, 10.8 percent 
    of these fatalities were a result of a worker falling from a height over 30 feet. 
  - Fatalities due to violent acts decreased to 733 in 2024 from 740 in 2023. Homicides accounted for 64.1 
    percent of this category with 470 fatalities, up from 458 in 2023. Suicides accounted for the other 35.9 
    percent with 263 fatalities, down from 281 in 2023.  

(Chart 3 appears here in the printed release)

Occupation

  - Construction and extraction workers experienced 1,032 fatalities in 2024. Fatal falls, slips, and trips  
    among these workers decreased 7.5 percent to 370 in 2024 from 400 in 2023. 
  - Work fatalities among building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers increased to 356 in 2024 
    from 337 in 2023. 
  - Fatalities among protective service occupations slightly increased to 281 in 2024 from 276 in 2023. 
    Homicides (97) accounted for 34.5 percent of these fatalities in 2024. 

Fatal injury counts and rates by occupation, industry, and worker demographics are available at 
www.bls.gov/iif/fatal-injuries-tables.htm.