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In 2020, 55 fatal work injuries occurred where the primary or secondary source was weather and atmospheric conditions. This was a 29.5-percent decline from 2019 (78 deaths) and the lowest count since 2015 (52 deaths). Most of these deaths have weather and atmospheric conditions as the secondary source. Primary source refers to the object, substance, exposure, or bodily motion responsible for a death. The secondary source refers to the object, substance, or person (if any) that generated the primary source or contributed to the event.
Year | Total primary and secondary source | Primary source | Secondary source |
---|---|---|---|
2011 |
104 | 4 | 100 |
2012 |
65 | 8 | 57 |
2013 |
92 | 5 | 87 |
2014 |
84 | 4 | 80 |
2015 |
52 | 6 | 46 |
2016 |
67 | 13 | 54 |
2017 |
61 | 4 | 57 |
2018 |
75 | 7 | 68 |
2019 |
78 | 13 | 65 |
2020 |
55 | 2 | 53 |
Workplace deaths with weather and atmospheric conditions as the primary source of injury dropped 84.6 percent from 2019 (13 deaths) to 2020 (2 deaths). The 2020 count is the lowest over the 2011–20 period. The 2 deaths in 2020 were both due to lightning.
Fatal injuries where weather and atmospheric conditions were the secondary source declined 18.5 percent from 2019 (65 deaths) to 2020 (53 deaths). This was the lowest yearly count since 2015 (46 deaths). In 2020, 41.5 percent (22 deaths) were from “Ice, sleet, or snow.” Another 35.8 percent (19 deaths) were from “High winds, gusts, and turbulence.”
Secondary source | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
All weather and atmospheric conditions |
54 | 57 | 68 | 65 | 53 |
High winds, gusts, turbulence |
12 | 14 | 24 | 23 | 19 |
Ice, sleet, snow |
26 | 27 | 30 | 34 | 22 |
Rain |
11 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
All other sources |
5 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 7 |
These data are from the Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program. To learn more, see “National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2020.” We also have more charts on fatal work injuries. Explanation of primary and secondary sources can be found in the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Manual.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Workplace deaths from weather and atmospheric conditions at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2022/workplace-deaths-from-weather-and-atmospheric-conditions.htm (visited November 07, 2024).