Slight Decrease in Workplace Fatalities Reported.According to the AFL-CIO’s annual health and safety report, the number of workplace fatalities in the U.S. slightly decreased in 2023. The job fatality rate dropped from 3.7 to 3.5 deaths per 100,000 workers. Despite this reduction, dangerous work conditions still accounted for nearly 400 deaths per day nationwide.
Axios
The report highlights that certain industries remain particularly hazardous. Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting had the highest fatality rate at 20.3 per 100,000 workers, followed by mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction at 16.9 per 100,000.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler emphasized the need for stronger enforcement of workplace safety regulations, stating, “Any attack on job safety agencies is an attack on working people.”
aflcio.org
The report also notes that the elimination of 85% of roles within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) during a recent Department of Health and Human Services reorganization could undermine efforts to protect worker health.
Axios
Despite the slight decrease in fatalities, the AFL-CIO warns that much work remains to be done to ensure the safety and health of American workers.
