Fatal Work Accidents Hit 7-Year Low, OSHA Reports

Federal authorities recently announced a major achievement in workplace safety — they have investigated fewer worker deaths in 2024 than in any year since 2017 (outside of COVID). That’s according to regulators at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), who have also reported some more eye-opening findings related to:

• Where Fewer Worker Deaths Occurred in 2024
• 2024 Declines in Deadly Fall Accidents
• 2024 Declines in Fatal Trench Collapses
• OSHA Authorities’ Take on the Decline in Worker Deaths

For a real-life example of how OSHA safety violations contribute to worker deaths, check out these 8 violations that caused three fatal accidents at a Houston contractor.

Where Fewer Worker Deaths Occurred in 2024

According to OSHA, the number of fatal workplace accidents that regulators are required to visit has declined in 2024, dropping ~11% when compared to 2023. When looking at the data from 2022, worker deaths in 2024 have declined even more, dropping ~22.4%.

Effectively, that breaks down into the following numbers.

*Initial projected totals.

Unpacking the 2024 data more, authorities found that worker deaths declined in a couple of key areas and, in particular, in areas that are notoriously leading causes of fatal accidents year after year — falls and trench collapses. Both of these are discussed in greater detail below.

2024 Declines in Deadly Fall Accidents

Fatal falls in 2024 are estimated to have declined by nearly 20% when compared to 2023 (based on expert projections). In fact, while OSHA investigated 234 deadly fall accidents in 2023, that number is at 189 in 2024, according to regulators’ estimated total for this year.

Comparing the latest numbers to 2022, fatal falls are down about 17%. Despite the zigzagging trend here, the latest declines still put deadly falling accidents at a 7-year low in 2024.

As encouraging as this trend may be, it also speaks to the persisting safety violations that have continued to cause more than 200 fatal falls, on average, over the past three years. Those tend to include (and are not limited to):

• Scaffolding failures: When scaffolding structures are not properly assembled, maintained, or secured, workers can fall and suffer deadly injuries. Fatal falls can also result from scaffolding failures that involve missing guardrails, improperly installed platforms, and scaffolding overloaded with weight.
• Poorly secured ladders: Susceptible to shifting, slipping, and collapsing, poorly secured ladders can unexpectedly move under a worker’s weight. That can occur when ladder bases are not secured or when extension ladders aren’t properly locked. If ladders are placed at dangerous angles, the risk of tipping can increase. Consequently, failing to train workers on ladder securement and safety can also play a role in these safety violations.
• Inadequate fall protections: Guardrails, harnesses, and safety nets are all fall protections that can be required in certain work environments, including those with scaffolding and trenches. Additionally, the absence of safety nets in areas where guardrails or harnesses aren’t feasible can increase the risk of deadly falls.

While fall safety violations are a leading cause of worker deaths across several industries, they tend to threaten construction workers’ lives most often.

2024 Declines in Fatal Trench Collapses

Deadly trench collapses in 2024 are estimated to have declined by about 25% when compared to 2023. In particular, while OSHA investigated 15 fatal trench collapses in 2023, those investigations dropped 12 this year, according to authorities’ projections.

Analyzing the newest data across 2022 totals, deadly trench collapses have declined by nearly 70%. Unlike fatal falling accidents, deadly trench collapses have been steadily declining in recent years, with year-over-year drop-offs reflecting fewer worker deaths in trenching accidents.

While auspicious and moving in the right direction, deadly trench accidents still occur far too often, regulators say, especially when employers fail to comply with trenching regulations. When that happens, it typically comes in the form of:

• A lack of protective systems: Trench boxes, shoring, and sloping are some protective systems that can be essential to preventing trench collapses. Without these supports, trench walls can cave in, burying workers under tons of soil, which often leads to fatal suffocation and/or crushing injuries.
• Inadequate trench inspections: Trenches must be inspected daily and after weather changes by a competent person trained in conducting these inspections. Overlooking these inspections can result in persisting unsafe conditions, like weakened soil or water accumulation, increasing the risk of a trench collapse.
• Unsafe access and egress: OSHA requires that trenches deeper than 4 feet have ladders or ramps for safe entry and exit. Without these, workers may be unable to escape quickly in an emergency, potentially leading to fatal entrapment in the event of a trench collapse.
• Failures to account for environmental conditions: Different soil types and environmental factors, like rain or vibrations from nearby equipment, can contribute to trench instability. Ignoring these conditions can cause unexpected collapses and deadly injuries for trench and excavation workers.
• Poor hazard monitoring: Trenches can accumulate hazardous gases or lack oxygen, especially in deeper or enclosed areas. Failing to monitor trenches for toxic gases or oxygen deficiency can elevate the risks of fatal suffocation and deadly toxic exposures.

Excavation workers tend to be most vulnerable to trenching accidents.

OSHA Authorities’ Take on the Decline in Worker Deaths

Weighing in on the 2024 projections, federal regulators have applauded the drop in worker deaths, pointing out how their ongoing efforts likely contributed to these declines. Specifically, OSHA authorities have highlighted the positive role that the following likely played in saving workers’ lives in 2024:

• Intensive outreach and education by OSHA and industry partners
• State-level OSHA partners with state-specific safety plans
• Aggressive enforcement and a “zero tolerance” policy for trench safety violations, which includes immediate inspections and, in some cases, referrals for criminal investigations and prosecution.

Celebrating how their efforts have saved lives in the real world, federal safety authorities have expressed cautious optimism about the 2024 drop in worker deaths, appreciating the “win” while remaining focused on doing better going forward. For regulators, better means no lives being lost to preventable safety violations in workplaces nationwide.

Commenting on these findings, Douglas Parker, Assistant Secretary for OSHA, stated:

These numbers are promising evidence that stronger enforcement and collaboration with labor and management… is saving lives… Most striking is the improvement in areas we have focused on with employers and unions. Our state program partners have also seen improvements.

While fewer workers have died from the hazards OSHA investigates, we still lose more than 5,000 workers each year in largely preventable incidents. While we’re proud of this progress, our work is far from over. Reducing worker deaths means embracing an approach that makes worker health and safety a core value in every workplace. Only then can we fully address all the causes and factors that lead to workers dying needlessly on the job.

Reassuring and relentless, federal regulators vow to continue monitoring workplaces across the U.S., enforcing essential safety regulations and penalizing the employers who skirt the rules. 

That may continue to reduce worker deaths in 2025 and beyond — but it won’t help those who have already been hurt on the job. For these workers and anyone who’s lost a loved one to a deadly workplace injury, knowing your rights and legal options can be crucial to recovering and seeking justice.