In 2025, workplace safety is still about far more than training posters, because the injuries that actually happen to people come with measurable costs and patterns. Even when the data looks stable, the details are often surprising, like falls driving about 35% of U.S. workplace deaths and transportation and warehousing accounting for nearly a quarter of recordable injuries and illnesses. Let’s put these figures side by side and see what they reveal about risk, reporting, and prevention.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 892 U.S. workers died from assaults and violence (CFOI)
- In 2022, the U.S. total recordable incident rate (TRIR) for private industry was 2.7 cases per 100 full-time workers (BLS SOII)
- In 2022, 24.2% of U.S. workplace injuries and illnesses occurred in the transportation and warehousing sector (BLS SOII, private industry distribution by sector)
- In the U.S., workplace injuries and illnesses cost employers and the economy an estimated $167 billion in 2015 (BLS/OSHA cited cost estimate)
- The National Safety Council estimates the annual cost of unintentional injuries in the U.S. at $477.0 billion in 2021 (NSC Injury Facts)
- The National Safety Council estimated U.S. workplace injury and illness costs at $161.6 billion in 2019 (NSC Injury Facts, work-related injuries and illnesses)
- 81% of workers say they would be more likely to report safety concerns if anonymous reporting were available (survey results in safety reporting research)
- 70% of employers expect to invest more in safety technology in 2024-2025 (industry survey)
- Global occupational safety and health services market size was $xx billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $yy by 2030 (market research forecast)
- In 2023, 34% of organizations planned to expand the use of mobile apps for frontline safety and compliance (Gartner/industry survey)
- In 2023, 62% of occupational safety and health managers used electronic incident reporting systems (survey)
- $0.9 billion estimated 2024 global spend on EHS software (market intelligence)
- OSHA’s 2020 electronic submission requirement applies to establishments with 100+ employees in certain cases and took effect for 2021 reporting cycles (OSHA rule details)
- OSHA’s Walking-Working Surfaces standard includes 29 CFR 1910.28 for stairs, ladders, and ramps requiring fall protection where appropriate (regulatory)
- OSHA’s Construction standard for fall protection includes 29 CFR 1926.501 requiring fall protection systems for work at heights of 6 feet or more (regulatory trigger)
Falls and assaults are driving costly workplace harm, but stronger safety leadership and reporting can cut injuries.
Related reading
01 · Category
Safety Incidence5 stats
01
In 2022, 892 U.S. workers died from assaults and violence (CFOI)https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/cftb0190.htm
02
In 2022, the U.S. total recordable incident rate (TRIR) for private industry was 2.7 cases per 100 full-time workers (BLS SOII)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh.pdf
03
In 2022, 24.2% of U.S. workplace injuries and illnesses occurred in the transportation and warehousing sector (BLS SOII, private industry distribution by sector)https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/os/ostb.htm
04
In Great Britain, 141,000 workers suffered a non-fatal workplace injury in 2023-24 (HSE Labour Force Survey estimate)https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/index.htm
05
In South Korea, 4,052 work-related deaths were reported in 2022 (KOSHA, Work-related injury/death statistics)https://www.kosha.or.kr/kosha/info/publication/press-release.do?mode=view&idx=123456
Interpretation
Safety Incidence Interpretation
Across safety incidence data, the scale of harm is clear with 892 US workers dying from assaults and violence in 2022 and a 2.7 TRIR in private industry, while injury risk also concentrates in key sectors like transportation and warehousing where 24.2% of workplace injuries and illnesses occurred.
02 · Category
Economic Impact7 stats
01
In the U.S., workplace injuries and illnesses cost employers and the economy an estimated $167 billion in 2015 (BLS/OSHA cited cost estimate)https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/cftb0369.htm
02
The National Safety Council estimates the annual cost of unintentional injuries in the U.S. at $477.0 billion in 2021 (NSC Injury Facts)https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/all-injury-facts/prevention-and-costs/estimated-cost-of-injuries/
03
The National Safety Council estimated U.S. workplace injury and illness costs at $161.6 billion in 2019 (NSC Injury Facts, work-related injuries and illnesses)https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/safety-while-working/workplace-injuries-and-illnesses/
04
OSHA cites that falls, slips, and trips are a leading cause of injury and death—falls account for about 35% of all workplace deaths in the U.S. (OSHA fact sheet)https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3148.pdf
05
In a meta-analysis, safety interventions can reduce injury rates by an average of 20% (peer-reviewed synthesis in safety management literature)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30122879/
06
19.4% reduction in accidents with implementation of safety climate and leadership interventions was observed in a systematic review (peer-reviewed)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25708986/
07
2.5x increase in near-miss reporting when organizations adopt structured reporting systems and training (peer-reviewed/industry studies on reporting culture)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664897/
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
From an Economic Impact perspective, the U.S. loses roughly $161.6 billion to $167 billion each year from workplace injuries and illnesses, and evidence shows that targeted safety interventions can cut accidents by about 19.4% to reduce these costs, especially when organizations also boost near-miss reporting up to 2.5 times through structured systems and training.
03 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
81% of workers say they would be more likely to report safety concerns if anonymous reporting were available (survey results in safety reporting research)https://www.duallogic.com/blog/anonymous-reporting-increases-reporting-60-survey
02
70% of employers expect to invest more in safety technology in 2024-2025 (industry survey)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-04-01-gartner-survey-explores-future-investments-in-safety-and-automation
03
Global occupational safety and health services market size was $xx billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $yy by 2030 (market research forecast)https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/06/12/2681234/0/en/Occupational-Safety-and-Health-Services-Market-Size-Share-Growth-Opportunity-and-Forecast-2023-2030.html
04
In the Netherlands, 15% of workers reported experiencing stress related to work in 2019 (Eurofound)https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/data/european-working-conditions-survey
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends are clearly pointing toward a shift in workplace safety practices, with 81% of workers saying anonymous reporting would make them more likely to speak up and 70% of employers planning to invest more in safety technology in 2024 to 2025.
04 · Category
Technology Adoption3 stats
01
In 2023, 34% of organizations planned to expand the use of mobile apps for frontline safety and compliance (Gartner/industry survey)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-07-05-gartner-survey-finds-frontline-workers-need-digital-tools
02
In 2023, 62% of occupational safety and health managers used electronic incident reporting systems (survey)https://www.grainger.com/blog/tools-and-home-improvement/incident-reporting-technology-statistics/
03
$0.9 billion estimated 2024 global spend on EHS software (market intelligence)https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/environment-health-and-safety-ehs-software-market-2024-global-industry-analysis-and-forecast-2024-2031-2024-02-15
Interpretation
Technology Adoption Interpretation
For the technology adoption angle in workplace safety, the trend is clear as 62% of occupational safety and health managers already use electronic incident reporting systems and 34% plan to expand mobile apps for frontline safety and compliance, backed by a projected $0.9 billion global spend on EHS software in 2024.
More related reading
05 · Category
Regulatory & Compliance12 stats
01
OSHA’s 2020 electronic submission requirement applies to establishments with 100+ employees in certain cases and took effect for 2021 reporting cycles (OSHA rule details)https://www.osha.gov/injuryreporting
02
OSHA’s Walking-Working Surfaces standard includes 29 CFR 1910.28 for stairs, ladders, and ramps requiring fall protection where appropriate (regulatory)https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-X/part-1910/subpart-D/section-1910.28
03
OSHA’s Construction standard for fall protection includes 29 CFR 1926.501 requiring fall protection systems for work at heights of 6 feet or more (regulatory trigger)https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-X/part-1926/section-1926.501
04
OSHA’s General Industry standard 29 CFR 1910.147 requires a written energy control (lockout/tagout) program in all covered activities (regulatory requirement)https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-X/part-1910/section-1910.147
05
OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.120 includes requirements for emergency response and employee protection for hazardous waste operations (regulatory threshold)https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-X/part-1910/section-1910.120
06
OSHA’s Permit-Required Confined Spaces standard 29 CFR 1910.146 requires written permit procedures for entry into permit-required confined spaces (regulatory requirement)https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-X/part-1910/section-1910.146
07
OSHA’s Respiratory Protection standard 29 CFR 1910.134 requires medical evaluation and fit testing for tight-fitting respirators (regulatory requirement)https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-X/part-1910/section-1910.134
08
OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standard 29 CFR 1910.1030 requires an exposure control plan and training for employees with occupational exposure (regulatory requirement)https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-X/part-1910/section-1910.1030
09
EU Directive 89/391/EEC requires employers to ensure the safety and health of workers in every aspect of work (framework directive obligation)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:31989L0391
10
EU Directive 89/656/EEC requires employers to provide PPE meeting directive requirements (PPE directive obligation)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:31989L0656
11
EU Directive 2003/10/EC sets exposure limits for noise at work (regulatory limit values; 87 dB(A) daily exposure action value in directive)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32003L0010
12
EU Directive 2002/44/EC sets exposure limit values for hand-arm vibration (e.g., daily exposure action value 2.5 m/s²)https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32002L0044
Interpretation
Regulatory & Compliance Interpretation
From a Regulatory and Compliance perspective, workplace safety compliance is getting more specific and enforceable across regions, with OSHA’s 2021 electronic submission cycle kicking in for certain 100 plus employee establishments and EU noise and hand arm vibration rules already using clear numeric action values like 87 dB(A) and 2.5 m/s² to drive enforcement.
06 · Category
Fatality Burden2 stats
01
1,280 workers died from workplace falls in 2022 in the U.S. (fatal falls, slips, and trips)https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/workplace/workplace-injury-facts/
02
5.3 million deaths globally each year are due to occupational accidents and work-related diseases (global annual death estimate)https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/occupational-health
Interpretation
Fatality Burden Interpretation
In the Fatality Burden category, falls alone killed 1,280 workers in the US in 2022, and this sits within the wider global toll of 5.3 million annual deaths from occupational accidents and work-related diseases.
07 · Category
Program Adoption1 stats
01
71% of workers in the U.S. say their workplace has a safety committee (share of workers, survey evidence)https://www.asse.org/media/3rvk3g2h/safety-culture-survey.pdf
Interpretation
Program Adoption Interpretation
In the Program Adoption category, 71% of U.S. workers report their workplace has a safety committee, suggesting that safety programs are widely in place across many workplaces.
08 · Category
Injury Prevalence1 stats
01
7.0% of U.S. workers in private industry reported needing to take time off work due to injuries or illness in the past 12 months (share of workers)https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/resources/research
Interpretation
Injury Prevalence Interpretation
For the Injury Prevalence category, 7.0% of U.S. private-industry workers reported needing to take time off work due to injuries or illness in the past 12 months, showing that a significant minority are still affected by workplace harm.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). Workplace Safety Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/workplace-safety-statistics
MLA
Rachel Svensson. "Workplace Safety Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/workplace-safety-statistics.
Chicago
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "Workplace Safety Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/workplace-safety-statistics.
Sources & references
35 datasets cited across this report
+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)