Construction accounts for 1 in 6 fatal work injuries in the United States. Workers face a fatal injury rate of 8.9 deaths per 100,000 full-time-equivalent workers. Falls from height cause 69 percent of construction fatalities.
Key Takeaways
- 3.6% of all workplace fatalities in the United States involved construction trades in 2022
- 1,016 workers died in construction in the United States in 2022
- In 2022, workers in construction had a fatal injury rate of 8.9 deaths per 100,000 full-time-equivalent workers (FTEs)
- $163 billion per year is the estimated cost of work-related injuries and illnesses in the United States from household costs
- 1 fatality can correspond to $1.5 million to $4 million in total societal costs, depending on assumptions (including productivity and quality-of-life)
- $1.0 billion annual savings potential in construction from reducing serious injuries (US estimate range narrowed in study)
- 2.0x higher accident rates were reported on work sites using older equipment vs. modern equipment in a construction equipment safety study
- 25% of construction workers who died were aged 55 and older in 2022 (BLS CFOI age distribution)
- In the US, 75% of fatalities among construction workers occurred in the 25–64 age range (CFOI distribution)
- In 2022, 13% of construction fatalities in the US were among Black workers (CFOI race/ethnicity distribution)
- In 2022, 69% of construction fatalities in the US occurred at worksites where the worker was working at height (CFOI event narrative coding summary)
- In 2022, 9% of construction fatalities in the US involved contact with machinery/equipment
- 1.5 million workers in the EU are estimated to be exposed to falling risks at work (share across sectors; construction-relevant)
Construction deaths and serious injuries remain concentrated in key risk areas like falls and unsafe equipment, with high costs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Workplace Injury Rates10 stats
01
3.6% of all workplace fatalities in the United States involved construction trades in 2022
02
1,016 workers died in construction in the United States in 2022
03
In 2022, workers in construction had a fatal injury rate of 8.9 deaths per 100,000 full-time-equivalent workers (FTEs)
04
In 2022, construction accounted for 4.5% of all worker injuries and illnesses involving days away from work
05
1 in 6 fatal work injuries in the US happened in construction in 2022 (share of all workplace fatalities)
06
In 2022, the median number of days away from work for injuries involving overexertion and bodily reaction in construction was 8 days
07
2.2 million work-related injuries requiring at least 4 days of absence occurred in the EU in 2019 across all sectors (context)
08
1 in 5 construction workers experience a musculoskeletal disorder annually (review estimate; construction-specific)
09
29% of construction workers report low back pain in cross-sectional surveys (systematic review)
10
In 2022, 9,500 construction-related worksite injuries resulting in days away were recorded in the BLS CFOI data subset (value for construction, days away)
Interpretation
Workplace Injury Rates Interpretation
In the Workplace Injury Rates data, construction represents 1 in 6 fatal work injuries and even shows a fatal injury rate of 8.9 deaths per 100,000 FTE workers in 2022, underscoring how concentrated serious harm is in this sector despite it accounting for only 4.5% of day-away injuries and illnesses.
02 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
$163 billion per year is the estimated cost of work-related injuries and illnesses in the United States from household costs
02
1 fatality can correspond to $1.5 million to $4 million in total societal costs, depending on assumptions (including productivity and quality-of-life)
03
$1.0 billion annual savings potential in construction from reducing serious injuries (US estimate range narrowed in study)
04
$40,000median cost for a serious fall-related injury claim in construction in the US (workers’ comp claim severity)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis shows that construction injuries and illnesses drive enormous annual costs, with the US estimate reaching $163 billion per year from work-related health impacts, and even a single fatality adding up to $1.5 million to $4 million in societal costs, making the potential savings of $1.0 billion from reducing serious injuries a clear economic incentive to prioritize safety.
03 · Category
Industry Trends1 stats
01
2.0x higher accident rates were reported on work sites using older equipment vs. modern equipment in a construction equipment safety study
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends data show that construction work sites using older equipment had 2.0x higher accident rates than those using modern equipment, underscoring how upgrading equipment can be a key lever for improving safety.
More related reading
04 · Category
Workforce & Demographics3 stats
01
25% of construction workers who died were aged 55 and older in 2022 (BLS CFOI age distribution)
02
In the US, 75% of fatalities among construction workers occurred in the 25–64 age range (CFOI distribution)
03
In 2022, 13% of construction fatalities in the US were among Black workers (CFOI race/ethnicity distribution)
Interpretation
Workforce & Demographics Interpretation
Within the workforce and demographics lens, construction fatalities in 2022 skew toward older and working-age groups, with 25% of deaths involving workers aged 55 and older and 75% occurring among those aged 25 to 64, while Black workers accounted for 13% of the fatalities.
05 · Category
Hazard Mechanisms6 stats
01
In 2022, 69% of construction fatalities in the US occurred at worksites where the worker was working at height (CFOI event narrative coding summary)
02
In 2022, 9% of construction fatalities in the US involved contact with machinery/equipment
03
1.5 million workers in the EU are estimated to be exposed to falling risks at work (share across sectors; construction-relevant)
04
3% of construction fatalities in the US involved trenching or excavation collapses (CFOI event narrative)
05
4.7x higher risk of injury when lockout/tagout is not followed in industrial construction contexts (meta-analysis)
06
2.4x higher risk of falls when guardrails are not installed on scaffolds (study finding)
Interpretation
Hazard Mechanisms Interpretation
For the Hazard Mechanisms category, the pattern is clear that the biggest share of construction fatalities and a large portion of exposure stem from height and fall-related risks, with 69% of US construction deaths in 2022 occurring at worksites where workers were working at height, reinforced by the finding that falls are 2.4 times more likely when guardrails are not installed on scaffolds.
report visual · Breakdown
Construction’s share of workplace harm in 2022
Construction represents a sizable portion of serious injury outcomes and fatalities, highlighting where safety interventions could have the biggest impact.
25%
25% of construction workers who died were aged 55 and older in 2022 (BLS CFOI age distribution)
75%
In the US, 75% of fatalities among construction workers occurred in the 25–64 age range (CFOI distribution)
source-verifiedbls.gov2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Construction Accident Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/construction-accident-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Construction Accident Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/construction-accident-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Construction Accident Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/construction-accident-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)