Fatalities to workers age 55 and older trending up

Workplace fatalities are trending upward among workers age 55 and older. In 2018, there were 1,863 fatal work injuries among workers age 55 and older. That was 35 percent of all workplace deaths, up from 20 percent in 1992. The historic high was 37 percent in 2017.

Transportation incidents were the most common type of fatal event among workers age 55 and older during the 1992–2018 period. In 2018, there were 769 transportation-related fatalities (41 percent) among these workers. That was followed by falls, slips, and trips at 402 fatalities (22 percent).

These data are from the Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program. For more information, see “Fatal occupational injuries to older workers” in the January 2020 edition of the Monthly Labor Review.