Fatal work injuries up 5.7% in 2022
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There were 5,486 fatal work injuries reported in 2022, a 5.7% increase from the prior year’s 5,190, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Tuesday, attributing the increase in part to rising workplace violence.
The transportation and material moving sector reported the most fatal work injuries in 2022, at 1,620, the BLS said. The construction and extraction sector reported the second-highest total, 1,056, representing an 11% increase from 2021.
Transportation incidents comprised the most frequent type of fatal event.
Unintentional drug overdoses in the workplace increased 13.1% in 2022, continuing a trend that began in 2012.
The BLS said fatalities due to workplace violence and other injuries caused by individuals or animals increased 11.6% in 2022, with homicides accounting for 61.7% of workplace fatalities.
The BLS data comes from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, which uses federal, state and independent data to identify fatal work injuries.
