Reducing the rising rate of workplace fatalities

Each year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) releases data about workplace injuries across the United States. In its most recent release, the agency saw more than 2.8 million reported work-related injuries and/or illnesses and 5,486 worker fatalities in 2022 alone.

According to the Commonwealth’s data, “on average, 67 workers [in Massachusetts] die as a result of fatal occupational injuries each year.” Nationally, fatal workplace injuries increased from 2021 to 2022 by 5.7%. The numbers in Massachusetts have been staggering, with 69 reported worker fatalities in 2020, 97 in 2021, and 81 in 2022. These fatalities include traumatic injuries suffered at work, as well as from work-related diseases. So why should employers pay attention to these statistics?

OSHA comes into play

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) establishes regulations and conducts inspections of employers across the states, issuing fines and ordering compliance if problems are identified. In December 2023 alone, OSHA fined employers in Massachusetts almost $900,000 for violations ranging from improperly stored stock materials to a failure to provide a place of employment free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious harm.