While the overall rate of workplace injuries showed a promising 7% decline in 2022, a closer look at the staggering statistics—from over 2.8 million nonfatal incidents to the sobering reality of 5,486 lives lost—reveals a complex landscape of risk where progress in some areas is starkly contrasted by persistent and costly dangers in others.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, private industry employers reported 2,831,000 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, resulting in a total recordable incidence rate of 2.7 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers
- The total recordable case incidence rate for all private industries in 2022 decreased by 7.0 percent from 2021 to 2.7 cases per 100 FTE workers
- In 2022, the incidence rate for cases with days away from work for private industry was 0.9 cases per 100 FTE workers, down from 1.1 in 2021
- In 2022, 5,486 fatal work injuries were reported in the US, down 5.7% from 2021
- Transportation incidents were the leading cause of fatal injuries, accounting for 37.3% or 2,046 deaths in 2022
- Falls, slips, and trips caused 775 fatal injuries in 2022, representing 14.1% of total fatalities
- In 2022, there were 847,310 private industry cases with days away from work
- Sprains, strains, tears were the most common nonfatal injury type, with 29.5% of DAFW cases in 2022
- Soreness and pain cases numbered 104,100 in private industry in 2022
- In construction, struck-by incidents caused 11% of nonfatal cases in 2022
- Manufacturing sector reported 405,000 nonfatal injuries/illnesses in 2022
- In agriculture, the nonfatal injury rate was 4.9 per 100 FTE in 2022
- The total cost of work injuries in the US was estimated at $171 billion in 2022
- Fatal work injuries cost society $183.5 billion in 2021, averaging $1,340,000 per death
- Nonfatal disabling injuries cost $69.1 billion in 2021
Workplace injuries declined but remain high and cost billions in 2022.
Economic and Cost Statistics
1The total cost of work injuries in the US was estimated at $171 billion in 2022
Verified2Fatal work injuries cost society $183.5 billion in 2021, averaging $1,340,000 per death
Verified3Nonfatal disabling injuries cost $69.1 billion in 2021
Verified4Workers' compensation payments for medical and indemnity totaled $66 billion in 2022
Directional5Average cost per medically consulted injury was $44,000 in private industry 2022
Single source6Construction industry work injury costs reached $45 billion annually
Verified7Musculoskeletal disorders cost employers $13 billion in workers' comp in 2021
Verified8Slip and fall injuries cost $11 billion in direct costs yearly
Verified9Indirect costs of work injuries average 2.5 times direct costs
Directional10Truck crash injuries cost $91 billion in 2021
Single source11Manufacturing injury costs were $39 billion in 2021
Verified12Lifetime cost of a back injury averages $120,000 per case
Verified13Workers' comp premiums totaled $54 billion in 2022
Verified14Productivity losses from work injuries cost $59.6 billion in 2021
Directional15Administrative costs for workers' comp were $25 billion in 2022
Single source16In healthcare, injury costs averaged $37,000 per hospital worker case
Verified17Total societal cost per fatal work injury was $1.41 million in 2020 data
Verified18Nonfatal cases with 31+ days away cost $172,000 each on average
Verified19Wage losses from permanent disabilities averaged $389,000 lifetime
Directional20Household services lost due to injuries valued at $37.2 billion yearly
Single sourceEconomic and Cost Statistics Interpretation
Behind these staggering financial figures lies the sobering truth that America's workplaces are generating a devastatingly expensive human toll, proving that safety isn't just a moral imperative but an immense financial drain we can no longer afford to ignore.
Fatal Injuries
1In 2022, 5,486 fatal work injuries were reported in the US, down 5.7% from 2021
Verified2Transportation incidents were the leading cause of fatal injuries, accounting for 37.3% or 2,046 deaths in 2022
Verified3Falls, slips, and trips caused 775 fatal injuries in 2022, representing 14.1% of total fatalities
Verified4Violence and other injuries by persons or animals resulted in 746 fatalities in 2022
Directional5Contact with objects and equipment caused 697 deaths in 2022
Single source6Exposure to harmful substances or environments led to 590 fatal injuries in 2022
Verified7Construction industry had 1,056 fatal injuries in 2022, the highest among sectors
Verified8Transportation and warehousing saw 1,340 fatalities in 2022
Verified9Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting had 535 deaths in 2022
Directional10The fatal injury rate for all occupations was 3.7 per 100,000 FTE in 2022
Single source11Truck drivers had 1,000 fatal injuries in 2022
Verified12Construction laborers recorded 300 fatalities in 2022
Verified13From 2012 to 2022, total fatal work injuries increased by 9.3%
Verified14Hispanic or Latino workers had 1,000 fatal injuries in 2022
Directional15Workers aged 35-44 had the highest number of fatalities at 1,600 in 2022
Single source16In 2022, 964 workers died from transportation incidents involving heavy trucks
Verified17318 construction workers died from falls in 2022
Verified18Fishing and hunting workers had a fatal injury rate of 24.3 per 100,000 FTE in 2022, highest overall
Verified19Loggers had a rate of 82.0 per 100,000 FTE in 2022
Directional20Roofers had 106 fatal injuries in 2022
Single sourceFatal Injuries Interpretation
While the number of fatal work injuries has thankfully decreased slightly, the sobering reality remains that every day, dozens of Americans head to jobs where a simple commute, a slip on a worksite, or a routine task can turn deadly.
Incidence Rates
1In 2022, private industry employers reported 2,831,000 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, resulting in a total recordable incidence rate of 2.7 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers
Verified2The total recordable case incidence rate for all private industries in 2022 decreased by 7.0 percent from 2021 to 2.7 cases per 100 FTE workers
Verified3In 2022, the incidence rate for cases with days away from work for private industry was 0.9 cases per 100 FTE workers, down from 1.1 in 2021
Verified4State and local government workplaces had a total recordable incidence rate of 2.8 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022
Directional5Manufacturing sector's total recordable incidence rate stood at 3.4 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022
Single source6From 2012 to 2022, the total recordable incidence rate for private industry declined by 20 percent
Verified7In 2021, the incidence rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work was 22.3 cases per 10,000 full-time workers
Verified8Construction industry's total recordable incidence rate was 2.5 per 100 FTE workers in 2022
Verified9Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting had the highest total recordable rate at 4.6 per 100 FTE in 2022
Directional10Healthcare and social assistance sector reported 4.9 total recordable cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022
Single source11Nursing and residential care facilities had a rate of 7.5 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022
Verified12Retail trade incidence rate was 2.9 per 100 FTE in 2022
Verified13Transportation and warehousing rate was 4.6 per 100 FTE in 2022
Verified14Utilities sector had the lowest rate at 1.7 per 100 FTE in 2022
Directional15In 2022, establishments with fewer than 11 employees had a rate of 1.5 per 100 FTE
Single source16Large establishments (1,000+ employees) had a rate of 2.1 per 100 FTE in 2022
Verified17From 1972 to 2022, nonfatal workplace injury rates declined by 70%
Verified18In 2022, the median days away from work for nonfatal injuries was 11 days
Verified19Sprains, strains, and tears accounted for 29.5% of cases with days away from work in 2022
Directional20Falls to lower level caused 15.3% of nonfatal cases with days away in 2022
Single sourceIncidence Rates Interpretation
The headline ‘workplace injuries are steadily declining’ feels like a pat on the back for a system that still sent nearly three million people home hurt, proving progress is a slow, painful climb where even the good news comes with a limp.
Industry-Specific Statistics
1In construction, struck-by incidents caused 11% of nonfatal cases in 2022
Verified2Manufacturing sector reported 405,000 nonfatal injuries/illnesses in 2022
Verified3In agriculture, the nonfatal injury rate was 4.9 per 100 FTE in 2022
Verified4Mining industry had 9.3 fatal injuries per 100,000 FTE in 2022
Directional5Healthcare support occupations in nursing facilities had 8.5 TRIR in 2022
Single source6Oil and gas extraction had 12.7 fatal rate per 100,000 in 2022
Verified7Transportation incidents caused 49% of construction fatalities in 2022
Verified8In retail trade, overexertion caused 30% of nonfatal cases in 2022
Verified9Utilities workers had 2.1 TRIR but high severity with median 14 days away in 2022
Directional10Hospitality industry reported 3.2 TRIR in 2022, driven by slips and falls
Single source11In wholesale trade, struck-by incidents were 15% of cases in 2022
Verified12Professional services had lowest TRIR at 0.9 per 100 FTE in 2022
Verified13Waste management had 3.8 TRIR and 8.2 DAFWII rate in 2022
Verified14In construction, falls to lower level were 35% of fatalities in 2022
Directional15Manufacturing chemical exposures caused 5% of nonfatal illnesses in 2022
Single source16Agriculture animal-related injuries were 20% of nonfatal cases in 2022
Verified17Transportation warehousing had 5.2 TRIR with forklift incidents at 12% in 2022
Verified18In education services, slips/trips caused 25% of cases in 2022
Verified19Logging operations had 100+ fatalities per year average 2018-2022
Directional20Roofing contractors had TRIR of 9.0 in 2022
Single sourceIndustry-Specific Statistics Interpretation
These sobering statistics prove that while some professions face daily hazards that would make an insurance agent faint, a truly safe workplace shouldn't feel like winning the lottery—it should be the guaranteed minimum.
Nonfatal Injuries
1In 2022, there were 847,310 private industry cases with days away from work
Verified2Sprains, strains, tears were the most common nonfatal injury type, with 29.5% of DAFW cases in 2022
Verified3Soreness and pain cases numbered 104,100 in private industry in 2022
Verified4Fractures accounted for 8.4% of DAFW cases in 2022
Directional5Cuts, lacerations, punctures were 7.8% of cases in 2022
Single source6Bruises, contusions were 5.9% of nonfatal DAFW cases in 2022
Verified7Overexertion involved 276,690 cases in 2022
Verified8Falls on same level caused 146,210 cases in 2022
Verified9Struck by object or equipment led to 144,410 cases in 2022
Directional10The median days away from work for musculoskeletal disorders was 16 days in 2022
Single source11Women accounted for 32.7% of DAFW cases in private industry in 2022
Verified12Workers aged 25-34 had 25.4% of DAFW cases in 2022
Verified13Healthcare practitioners had 72,970 DAFW cases in 2022
Verified14Nursing assistants experienced 45,000 DAFW cases in 2022
Directional15Laborers and material movers had 105,780 cases in 2022
Single source16Retail salespersons reported 28,860 DAFW cases in 2022
Verified17Cooks had 34,210 nonfatal cases in 2022
Verified18Janitors and cleaners had 40,500 cases in 2022
Verified19Driver/sales workers and truck drivers had 62,470 cases in 2022
Directional20Construction industry saw 149,000 cases with days away in 2022
Single source21Manufacturing had 116,100 DAFW cases in 2022
Verified22Construction laborers had a median of 12 days away from work per case in 2022
Verified23Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers had a median of 25 days away in 2022
VerifiedNonfatal Injuries Interpretation
It seems we've collectively decided that the primary occupational hazard is the human body itself, given that sprains, strains, and overexertion top the charts, landing our most essential workers—from healthcare heroes to construction crews—on the couch for a median of two to three weeks to contemplate the merits of better ergonomics.