For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Friday, December 16, 2022 USDL-22-2309 

Technical information: (202) 691-6170 x iifstaff@bls.gov x www.bls.gov/iif 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 x PressOffice@bls.gov

NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES IN 2021 

There were 5,190 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2021, an 8.9-percent increase from 4,764

in 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See chart 1 and table 1.) The fatal work injury rate 

was 3.6 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, up from 3.4 per 100,000 FTE in 2020 and up 

from the 2019 pre-pandemic rate of 3.5. (See chart 2.) These data are from the Census of Fatal Occupational 

Injuries (CFOI). 

Chart 1. Number of fatal work injuries, 2011-21 Chart 2. Fatal work injury rate, 2011-21

 

Key findings from the 2021 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

x The 3.6 fatal occupational injury rate in 2021 represents the highest annual rate since 2016. 

x A worker died every 101 minutes from a work-related injury in 2021.

x The share of Black or African American workers fatally injured on the job reached an all time high in 

2021, increasing from 11.4 percent of total fatalities in 2020 to 12.6 percent of total fatalities in 2021. 

Deaths for this group climbed to 653 in 2021 from 541 in 2020, a 20.7-percent increase. The fatality rate 

for this group increased from 3.5 in 2020 to 4.0 per 100,000 FTE workers in 2021. 

x Suicides continued to trend down, decreasing to 236 in 2021 from 259 in 2020, an 8.9-percent decrease.

x Workers in transportation and material moving occupations experienced a series high of 1,523 fatal 

work injuries in 2021 and represent the occupational group with the highest number of fatalities. This is 

an increase of 18.8 percent from 2020.

x Transportation incidents remained the most frequent type of fatal event in 2021 with 1,982 fatal injuries,

an increase of 11.5 percent from 2020. This major category accounted for 38.2 percent of all workrelated fatalities for 2021. 

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Fatal work injury rate per 100,000 FTE workers
2 

Worker characteristics 

x Black or African American workers, as well as Hispanic or Latino workers had fatality rates (4.0 and 4.5 

per 100,000 FTE workers, respectively) in 2021 that were higher than the all worker rate of 3.6. 

Transportation incidents were the highest cause of fatalities within both of these groups (267 for Black 

or African American workers and 383 for Hispanic or Latino workers). 

x The second highest cause of fatalities to Black or African American workers were injuries due to 

violence and other injuries by persons or animals (155), whereas for Hispanic or Latino workers it was 

falls, slips, or trips (272). Almost a quarter of Black or African American workplace fatalities (23.7 

percent) are a result of violence and other injuries by persons or animals as opposed to 14.7 percent for 

all workers. 

x Women made up 8.6 percent of all workplace fatalities but represented 14.5 percent of intentional 

injuries by a person in 2021. 

x In 2021, workers between the ages of 45 and 54 suffered 1,087 workplace fatalities, a 13.9-percent 

increase from 2020. This age group accounted for just over one-fifth of the total of fatalities for the year 

(20.9 percent). 

Fatal event or exposure

x Despite experiencing an increase from 2020 to 2021, transportation incidents are still down 6.6 percent 

from 2019 when there were 2,122 fatalities. 

x Fatalities due to violence and other injuries by persons or animals increased to 761 fatalities in 2021 

from 705 fatalities in 2020 (7.9 percent). The largest subcategory, intentional injuries by person, 

increased 10.3 percent to 718 in 2021. 

x Exposure to harmful substances or environments led to 798 worker fatalities in 2021, the highest figure 

since the series began in 2011. This major event category experienced the largest increase in fatalities in 

2021, increasing 18.8 percent from 2020. Unintentional overdose from nonmedical use of drugs or 

alcohol accounted for 58.1 percent of these fatalities (464 deaths), up from 57.7 percent of this 

category’s total in 2020. 

x Work related fatalities due to falls, slips, and trips increased 5.6 percent in 2021, from 805 fatalities in 

2020 to 850 in 2021. Falls, slips, and trips in construction and extraction occupations accounted for 370 

of these fatalities in 2021, and an increase of 7.2 percent from 2020 when there were 345 fatalities. 

Despite the increase this is still down 9.3 percent from 2019 when construction and extraction 

occupations experienced 408 fatalities due to this event. 

 
3 

Chart 3. Fatal work injuries by major event or exposure, 2017-21 

Occupation 

x There was a 16.3-percent increase in deaths for driver/sales workers and truck drivers which went up to 

1,032 deaths in 2021 from 887 deaths in 2020. This was the primary factor behind the increase in 

fatalities to workers in transportation and material moving occupations which reached a series high in 

2021. 

x Construction and extraction occupations had the second most occupational deaths (951) in 2021, despite 

experiencing a 2.6-percent decrease in fatalities from 2020. The fatality rate for this occupation also 

decreased from 13.5 deaths per 100,000 FTE workers in 2020 to 12.3 in 2021. 

x Protective service occupations (such as firefighters, law enforcement workers, police and sheriff’s patrol 

officers, and transit and railroad police) had a 31.9-percent increase in fatalities in 2021, increasing to 

302 from 229 in 2020. Almost half (45.4 percent) of these fatalities are due to homicides (116) and 

suicides (21). About one-third (33.4 percent) are due to transportation incidents, representing the highest 

count since 2016. 

x Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations had 475 fatalities in 2021, an increase of 20.9 percent. 

Almost one-third of these deaths (152) were to vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and 

repairers. 

x The fatal injury rate for fishing and hunting workers decreased from 132.1 per 100,000 FTEs in 2020 to 

75.2 in 2021. 

Fatal injury counts by occupation will be available at www.bls.gov/iif/fatal-injuries-tables.htm. Fatality rates by 

occupation, industry, and worker demographics will be available at www.bls.gov/iif/fatal-injuries-tables/fataloccupational-injuries-hours-based-rates-2021.xlsx. 

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

Transportation

incidents

Falls, slips, trips Violence and other

injuries by persons

or animals

Contact with

objects and

equipment

Exposure to

harmful

substances or

environments

Fires and

explosions

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
4 

Chart 4. Fatal work injury rates per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers by selected occupations, 2020-21 

TECHNICAL NOTES

Background 

The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), part of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational 

Safety and Health Statistics (OSHS) program, is a count of all fatalities resulting from workplace injuries 

occurring in the U.S. during the calendar year. The CFOI uses a variety of state, federal, and independent data 

sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This ensures counts are as complete and accurate as 

possible. For the 2021 data, over 23,900 unique source documents were reviewed as part of the data collection 

process. For technical information and definitions for the CFOI, see the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS 

website at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cfoi/home.htm and the CFOI definitions at 

www.bls.gov/iif/definitions/occupational-safety-and-health-definitions.htm. Fatal injury rates are subject to 

sampling error as they are calculated using employment data from the Current Population Survey, a sample of 

households, and the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics. For more information on sampling error, see 

www.bls.gov/iif/additional-resources/reliability-of-estimates.htm. 

The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), another component of the OSHS program, presents 

frequency counts and incidence rates by industry, detailed case circumstances, and worker characteristics for 

nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses for cases that result in days away from work. For these data, access the 

BLS website: www.bls.gov/iif. 

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

Underground mining machine operators

Refuse and recyclable material collectors

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

Structural iron and steel workers

Aircraft pilots and flight engineers

Roofers

Fishing and hunting workers

Logging workers

2020 2021
5 

Identification and verification of work-related fatalities 

In 2021, work relationship could not be independently verified by multiple source documents for 31 fatal work 

injuries. However, the information on the initiating source document for these cases was sufficient to determine 

that the incident was likely to be job-related. Data for these fatalities are included. 

Federal/State agency coverage 

The CFOI includes data for all fatal work injuries, some of which may be outside the scope of other agencies or 

regulatory coverage. Comparisons between CFOI counts and those released by other agencies should account 

for the different coverage requirements and definitions used by each agency. For more information on the scope 

of CFOI, see www.bls.gov/iif/overview/cfoi-scope.htm and www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cfoi/concepts.htm. 

Due to challenges related to obtaining key source documents for Arizona, CFOI case counts may be 

underrepresented. 

Latency Cases 

Latent fatal occupational injury cases occur when the date of injury differs from the date of death. In some 

cases, the death occurs in a different year than the occupational injury and are known as cross-year latent cases. 

In 2021, there were 197 cases where this occurred, and 174 of these latent cases occurred more than 30 days 

prior to the start of 2021. For more information on latent cases, see www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-10/latencyin-fatal-occupational-injuries.htm. 

CFOI Methodology 

Starting with the reference year 2019, CFOI modernized its disclosure methodology further strengthening its 

protection of confidential data. Individually identifiable data collected by the CFOI are used exclusively for 

statistical purposes and are protected under the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency 

Act of 2002 (CIPSEA). These data are collected under a pledge of confidentiality and therefore require BLS to 

prevent disclosure of identifying information of decedents. For more information see 

www.bls.gov/iif/questions-and-answers.htm. 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic and the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries 

CFOI reports fatal workplace injuries only. These may include fatal workplace injuries complicated by an 

illness such as COVID-19. Fatal workplace illnesses not precipitated by an injury are not in scope for CFOI. 

CFOI does not report any illness related information, including COVID-19. Additional information is available 

at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-on-workplace-injuries-and-illnesses-compensation-andoccupational-requirements.htm. 

Acknowledgements 

BLS thanks the participating states, New York City, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin 

Islands, and Guam for their efforts in collecting accurate, comprehensive, and useful data on fatal work injuries. 

Although data for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam are not included in the national totals, results 

for these jurisdictions are available. Participating agencies may be contacted to request more detailed state 

results. Contact information is available at www.bls.gov/iif/state-data.htm. 

BLS also appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that provided source 

documents used to identify fatal work injuries. Among these agencies are the Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration; the National Transportation Safety Board; the U.S. Coast Guard; the Mine Safety and Health 

Administration; the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (Federal Employees’ Compensation and 

Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation divisions); the Federal Railroad Administration; the National 

Highway Traffic Safety Administration; state vital statistics registrars, coroners, and medical examiners; state 

departments of health, labor, and industrial relations and workers’ compensation agencies; state and local police 

departments; and state farm bureaus. 
6 

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications 

relay services. 
Table 1: Fatal occupational injuries by selected demographic characteristics, 2017-21

Characteristic 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Total1 5,250 5,147 5,333 4,764 5,190 

Employee status

Wage and salary workers2 4,178 4,069 4,240 3,864 4,284

Self-employed3 1,072 1,078 1,093 900 906

Gender

Women 386 413 437 387 448

Men 4,837 4,761 4,896 4,377 4,741

Age

Under 16 years 15 13 17 14 7

16 to 17 years 7 9 17 12 17

18 to 19 years 62 56 50 66 85

20 to 24 years 293 282 325 260 289

25 to 34 years 872 946 866 833 882

35 to 44 years 907 966 967 898 977

45 to 54 years 1,059 1,114 1,082 1,087 954

55 to 64 years 1,155 1,104 1,212 1,140 1,051

65 years and over 759 775 793 676 702

Race or ethnic origin4

White (non-Hispanic) 3,449 3,405 3,297 3,103 2,898

Black or African-American (non-Hispanic) 530 615 634 541 653

Hispanic or Latino 903 961 1,088 1,130 1,072

American Indian or Alaskan Native (non-Hispanic) 42 30 32 38 41

Asian (non-Hispanic) 144 153 181 150 178

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic) 17 10 14 8 18

Multiple races (non-Hispanic) 9 14 22 14 11

Other races or not reported (non-Hispanic) 57 50 67 49 56

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with state, New York City, District of Columbia, and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

1

 The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) has published data on fatal occupational injuries for the United States since 1992. During this time, the classification systems and definitions 

of many data elements have changed. See the CFOI Definitions page (www.bls.gov/iif/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.htm) for a more detailed description of 

each data element.

2

 May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation. Cases where employment status is unknown are included in the counts of wage and salary workers.

3

 Includes self-employed workers, owners of unincorporated businesses and farms, paid and unpaid family workers, and may include some owners of incorporated businesses or members of 

partnerships.

4

 Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories shown exclude data for Hispanics and Latinos. Cases where ethnicity is unknown are included in counts of 

non-Hispanic workers.

Note: Data for all years are revised and final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet 

publication criteria. N.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

7
Table 2: Fatal occupational injuries for selected events or exposures, 2017-21

Characteristic 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Total1 5,250 5,147 5,333 4,764 5,190 

Event or exposure2

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals 828 807 841 705 761

Intentional injury by person 733 757 761 651 718

Homicides 458 453 454 392 481

Shooting by other person—intentional 351 351 363 304 387

Stabbing, cutting, slashing, piercing 47 44 42 50 45

Suicides 275 304 307 259 236

Transportation incidents 2,077 2,080 2,122 1,778 1,982

Aircraft incidents 126 133 152 80 100

Rail vehicle incidents 48 48 47 32 33

Pedestrian vehicular incident 313 325 341 330 337

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in work zone 56 58 56 57 49

Water vehicle incident 68 58 63 74 39

Roadway incident involving motorized land vehicle 1,299 1,276 1,270 1,038 1,253

Roadway collision with other vehicle 663 677 729 537 649

Roadway collision moving in same direction 189 183 194 142 184

Roadway collision moving in opposite directions, oncoming 214 243 258 198 218

Roadway collision moving perpendicularly 149 141 153 106 129

Roadway collision with object other than vehicle 377 373 325 302 319

Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway 348 345 301 275 283

Roadway noncollision incident 252 222 212 196 279

Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway 197 170 164 155 207

Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicle 209 225 236 206 201

Nonroadway noncollision incident 166 164 193 167 153

Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway 111 105 128 101 100

Fire or explosion 123 115 99 71 76

Fall, slip, trip 887 791 880 805 850

Fall on same level 151 154 146 136 145

Fall to lower level 713 615 711 645 680

Fall from collapsing structure or equipment 48 50 37 36 51

Fall through surface or existing opening 85 83 95 63 77

Exposure to harmful substances or environments 531 621 642 672 798

Exposure to electricity 136 160 166 126 152

Exposure to temperature extremes 38 60 53 62 43

Exposure to other harmful substances 317 355 379 448 551

Inhalation of harmful substance 43 42 59 50 72

Contact with objects and equipment 695 786 732 716 705

Struck by object or equipment 503 566 518 468 473

Struck by powered vehicle nontransport 197 215 205 174 169

Struck by falling object or equipment 237 278 241 217 227

Struck by discharged or flying object 28 32 26 37 24

Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects 108 137 120 142 143

Caught in running equipment or machinery 76 106 93 89 93

Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material 70 73 83 93 79

1

 The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) has published data on fatal occupational injuries for the United States since 1992. During this time, the classification systems and 

definitions of many data elements have changed. See the CFOI Definitions page (www.bls.gov/iif/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.htm) for a more detailed 

description of each data element.

2

 Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward.

Note: Data for all years are revised and final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet 

publication criteria. N.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with state, New York City, District of Columbia, and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

8
Table 3: Fatal occupational injuries for selected occupations, 2017-21

Characteristic 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Total1 5,250 5,147 5,333 4,764 5,190

Occupation (SOC)2

Management occupations 387 396 380 361 323

Business and financial operations occupations 38 29 29 23 27

Computer and mathematical occupations 12 15 11 8 6

Architecture and engineering occupations 30 43 31 29 23

Life, physical, and social science occupations 18 15 17 10 13

Community and social services occupations 23 31 26 40 37

Legal occupations 15 11 11 5 11

Educational instruction and library occupations 27 24 13 16 30

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations 71 40 36 45 47

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations 65 56 51 57 57

Healthcare support occupations 32 38 44 32 28

Protective service occupations 266 270 231 229 302 

Fire fighting and prevention workers 33 24 35 --

Law enforcement workers 117 127 115 97 -

Food preparation and serving related occupations 100 89 82 99 101 

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations 326 350 333 307 356 

Building cleaning and pest control workers 68 66 63 61 80

Grounds maintenance workers 191 225 229 202 225 

Personal care and service occupations 63 61 58 64 69

Sales and related occupations 232 241 240 200 200 

Supervisors, sales workers 102 98 73 70 99

Retail sales workers 99 96 95 83 89

Office and administrative support occupations 101 92 69 91 69

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations 264 262 291 264 218 

Agricultural workers 155 158 183 148 133 

Fishing and hunting workers 31 44 42 23 41

Forest, conservation, and logging workers 57 49 42 46 57

Construction and extraction occupations 965 1,003 1,066 976 951 

Supervisors of construction and extraction workers 121 144 136 117 88 

Construction trades workers 747 731 809 771 726 

Extraction workers 64 50 59 54 41

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations 414 420 438 393 475 

Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers 143 152 155 135 152 

Production occupations 221 225 245 224 242 

Transportation and material moving occupations 1,443 1,443 1,481 1,282 1,523 

Air transportation workers 71 85 50 68 59

Motor vehicle operators 1,084 1,044 1,091 933 1,103 

Material moving workers 235 255 238 218 284 

Military occupations3 82 65 72 --

1

 The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) has published data on fatal occupational injuries for the United States since 1992. During this time, the classification systems and definitions 

of many data elements have changed. See the CFOI Definitions page (www.bls.gov/iif/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.htm) for a more detailed description of each 

data element.

2

 CFOI has used several versions of the Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) system since 2003 to define occupation. For complete information on the version of SOC used in these years, 

see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.htm. Cases where occupation is unknown are included in the total.

3

 Includes fatal injuries to persons identified as resident armed forces regardless of individual occupation listed.

Note: Data for all years are revised and final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet 

publication criteria. N.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with state, New York City, District of Columbia, and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

9
Table 4: Fatal work injury rates1

 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers by selected occupations, 2020-21

Characteristic 2020 2021

All workers2 3.4 3.6

Occupation (SOC)3

Logging workers 91.7 82.2

Fishing and hunting workers 132.1 75.2

Roofers 47.0 59.0

Aircraft pilots and flight engineers 34.3 48.1

Structural iron and steel workers 32.5 36.1

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers 25.8 28.8

Refuse and recyclable material collectors 33.1 27.9

Underground mining machine operators 21.6 26.7

1

 Fatal injury rates are per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers. Fatal injury rates exclude workers under the age of 16 years, volunteers, and resident 

military. Complete national rates can be found at www.bls.gov/iif/fatal-injuries-tables.htm#rates. Complete state rates can be found at www.bls.gov/iif/statedata.htm. National and state rates are calculated using different methodology and cannot be directly compared. See 

www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cfoi/calculation.htm#comparisons-of-national-and-state-rates for more information on how rates are calculated and caveats for 

comparison. N/A means a rate was not published for this group.

2

 The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) has published data on fatal occupational injuries for the United States since 1992. During this time, the 

classification systems and definitions of many data elements have changed. See the CFOI Definitions page (www.bls.gov/iif/definitions/census-of-fataloccupational-injuries-definitions.htm) for a more detailed description of each data element.

3

 CFOI has used several versions of the Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) system since 2003 to define occupation. For complete information on the version 

of SOC used in these years, see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.htm. Cases where 

occupation is unknown are included in the total.

Note: Data for all years are revised and final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or 

data that do not meet publication criteria. N.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by 

an injury event.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with state, New York City, District of Columbia, and federal agencies, Census of Fatal 

Occupational Injuries

10