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Workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities by occupation
April 28, 2017
Workers' Memorial Day, observed each year on April 28, honors workers killed, injured, or made ill at work. Since 1992, BLS has collected detailed data on both nonfatal work injuries and illnesses that result in days away from work and fatal work injuries.
Occupations with high numbers of nonfatal injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work, 2015
Occupation
Number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses
Laborers, freight, stock, and material movers
59,010
Overexertion and bodily reaction
22,850
Contact with objects and equipment
20,400
Falls, slips, trips
11,060
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
49,260
Falls, slips, trips
16,200
Overexertion and bodily reaction
15,530
Transportation incidents
7,700
Janitors and cleaners
42,740
Overexertion and bodily reaction
16,480
Falls, slips, trips
12,300
Contact with objects and equipment
9,550
Nursing assistants
37,370
Overexertion and bodily reaction
19,970
Falls, slips, trips
6,930
Violence and other injuries by persons or animal
6,040
Maintenance and repair workers, general
30,020
Overexertion and bodily reaction
10,600
Contact with objects and equipment
8,590
Falls, slips, trips
7,960
The occupations with the highest number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses for all ownerships in 2015 were laborers and freight, stock, and material movers (59,010 nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving days away from work); heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (49,260); janitors and cleaners (42,740); nursing assistants (37,370), and maintenance and repair workers (30,020).
Occupations with high numbers of fatal injuries, 2015
Occupation
Fatal injuries
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
745
Transportation incidents
613
Contact with objects and equipment
60
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals
26
Farmers ranchers and other agricultural managers
252
Transportation incidents
121
Contact with objects and equipment
72
Falls, slips, trips
23
Construction laborers
235
Falls, slips, trips
90
Contact with objects and equipment
66
Transportation incidents
51
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
123
Falls, slips, trips
36
Transportation incidents
35
Contact with objects and equipment
30
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
111
Transportation incidents
47
Falls, slips, trips
22
Contact with objects and equipment
15
Exposure to harmful substances or environments
15
The occupations with the largest number of fatal work injuries in 2015 were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (745 fatal injuries); farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers (252); construction laborers (235); first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers (123); and landscaping and grounds keeping workers (111).
Fatal injuries and nonfatal injuries and illnesses differ significantly within the same occupation, both in numbers and in the event associated with the incident. Some occupations had high numbers of nonfatal injuries but few fatal injuries. Janitors and cleaners had the third highest number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses in 2015, at 42,740, versus 38 fatal injuries. Nursing assistants had the fourth highest number, with 37,370 nonfatal injuries and illnesses, compared to 4 fatal injuries.
United States Department of Labor
