slips trips and falls accident statistics

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Slip & Fall Quick Facts

The NFSI obtains up-to-date information on same level, slip and fall occurrences collected from a wide range of sources including governmental databases, private industry loss data, and insurance company loss data. Two helpful sites for up-to-date statistics are:

• Fall fatalities are nearly equally divided between men and women. However, more women will experience a slip-and-fall accident. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, falls accounted for 5% of the job-related fatalities for women compared to 11% for men.
• Falls account for over 8 million hospital emergency room visits, representing the leading cause of visits (21.3%). Slips and falls account for over 1 million visits, or 12% of total falls.
• Fractures are the most serious consequences of falls and occur in 5% of all people who fall.
• Slips and falls do not constitute a primary cause of fatal occupational injuries, but represent the primary cause of lost days from work.
• Slips and falls are the leading cause of workers’ compensation claims and are the leading cause of occupational injury for people aged 55 years and older. If you are thinking about making a workers’ compensation claim then you might want to take a look at using someone like the house of workers compensation lawyers to help you with your claim.
• According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), floors and flooring materials contribute directly to more than 2 million fall injuries each year.
• Half of all accidental deaths in the home are caused by a fall. Most fall injuries in the home happen at ground level, not from an elevation.
• Of all fractures from falls, hip fractures are the most serious and lead to the greatest health problems and number of deaths. The following statistics describe the slip-and-fall crisis affecting our nation’s elderly.
• Each year in the United States, one of every three persons over the age of 65 will experience a fall. Half of which are repeat fallers.
• According to the CDC In 2005, more than 15,000 people over the age of 65 died as a result of a fall. Up from 7,700 a decade earlier.
• The CDC also reports that approximately 1.8 million people over the age of 65 were treated in an emergency room as a result of a fall.
• For people aged 65-84 years, falls are the second leading cause of injury-related death; for those aged 85 years or older, falls are the leading cause of injury-related death.
• Incidence of falls goes up with each decade of life.
• Of all deaths associated with falls, 60% involve people aged 75 years or older.
• Falls account for 87% of all fractures among people over the age of 65 and are the second leading cause of spinal cord injuries and brain injury symptoms .
• Half of all elderly adults (over the age of 65) hospitalized for hip fractures cannot return home or live independently after the fracture.
• Falls represent 40% of all nursing home admissions and are the sixth leading cause of death among people aged 70 years or older.
• Over 60% of nursing homes residents will fall each year.
• According to The National Institute on Aging, every year 30% of people over the age of 65 will sustain a fall, of which 10% will result in a serious injury.
• 67% of fall fatalities are among people aged 75 years or older.
• People over the age of 85 are 10-15 times more likely to experience a hip fracture than are people aged 60-65 years.
• 85% of worker’s compensation claims are attributed to employees slipping on slick floors (Industrial Safety & Occupational Health Markets 5th edition)
• 22% of slip/fall incidents resulted in more than 31 days away from work (US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2002).
• Compensation & medical costs associated with employee slip/fall accidents is approximately $70 billion annually (National Safety Council Injury Facts 2003 edition).
• Occupational fatalities due to falls are approximately 600 per year down from 1200 during since the 1970s.
• Total injuries due to falls estimated at $13-14 million per year in U.S. Falls are the number one cause of accidental injury, resulting in 20.8 percent of all emergency room visits in 1995. (Motor vehicle accidents accounted for 11.9 percent of ER visits.)
• Disabling (temporary and permanent) occupational injuries due to falls are approximately $250,000-$300,000 per year.
• Falls occur in virtually all manufacturing and service sectors. Fatal falls however are in construction, mining and certain maintenance activities.
• According to Workers Compensation statistics from ITT-Hartford Insurance Company, falls account for 16% of all claims and 26% of all costs. This compares to 33% of costs associated with sprains and strains.
• According to the American Trucking Association, slips and falls are the leading cause of compensable injury in the trucking industry. 
• Falls from elevation (approximately 40% of compensable fall cases, approximately 10% of occupational fatalities).
• Falls on the same level (approximately 60% of compensable fall cases). (W. Monroe Keyserling, Ph.D. 2000)

Slips, Trips, and Falls: 22 Work Injury Statistics for 2023

Marija Lazic

May 20, 2023

Table of contents

General Work Injury Statistics

Workplace death statistics, osha statistics, work injury statistics for the us, workplace injury statistics by state, most common workplace injuries according to osha.

A day’s work can be dangerous to well-being, no matter where you work or what you do. And while some jobs are generally safe, others can be quite hazardous. What are the actual numbers, however? Read our work injury statistics to find out just that.

Editor’s Choice

• The total number of injuries per 100 full-time workers remained unchanged at 2.8 in 2020.
• Workplace injury rates have been on the decline since 1972, dropping by 75%.
• Occupational fatalities increased by 2% in 2019.
• 40% of all occupational fatalities in 2019 were attributed to transportation incidents.
• Slips, trips, and falls, overexertion, bodily reactions, as well as contact with objects and equipment account for more than 84% of all non-fatal injuries involving days away from work.
• In the US, 36,840 injuries in workplaces were caused by exposure to harmful substances or environments in 2020.
• About 2.3 million people worldwide have work-related accidents every year.

1. Slips, trips, falls, overexertion, bodily reactions, and contact with objects and equipment account for more than 84% of all non-fatal injuries involving days away from work.

( Injury Facts )

2. About 2.3 million people worldwide have work-related accidents every year.

The International Labor Organization reports that every year, 2.3 million men and women experience accidents (injuries or exposure to diseases) while working. This translates into over 6,000 deaths every single day.

3. There are about 340 million occupational accidents and 160 million victims of work-related illnesses annually.

Occupational injuries are a commonplace occurrence, with 340 million occupational accidents happening every year. There are 160 million victims of work-related illnesses annually.

4. 40% of all occupational fatalities in 2019 were attributed to transportation incidents.

( Fit Small Business )

Transportation incidents were the leading cause of occupational fatalities in 2019, causing about 40% of the total number. The 2,122 deaths represent a 2% increase from the previous year’s numbers.

5. Latino workers experienced 3.7 fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers from 2018 to 2020.

( Statista )

Despite the number of fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers in the US falling from 4.2 in 2006 to 3.5 in 2018, Latino workers had a higher average death rate, experiencing 3.7 fatal occupational injuries per 100,000.

6. 20% of worker fatalities in 2019 in the US private sector were in construction.

Workplace fatality statistics by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration revealed that about 20% of worker fatalities in the private industry for the year 2019 were in construction.

7. In 2019, there were about 15 deaths every day or more than 100 each week in the US work industry.

( US Bureau of Labor Statistics )

More than 100 workers a week or 15 people per day were reported to have died in their workplace in 2019 on average.

8. A total of 111 workers were killed at work in Great Britain in 2019/20.

( DAC Beachcroft )

According to workplace injury statistics for 2020 gathered by the Health and Safety Executive, 111 workers died in their workplace in Great Britain in 2019/20; 38 less than in the previous year.

9. Hazardous substances alone are estimated to cause approximately 650,000 deaths per year.

According to an International Labor Organization report, diseases related to work cause the most deaths among workers. More than 650,000 deaths globally were caused by hazardous substances alone. The same report found that older and younger workers were at higher risk of workplace injuries.

10. $5.82 billion was appropriated for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the fiscal year 2020.

Federal appropriations for OSHA in 2020 amounted to $581,787,000. For 2019, $557,787,000 was appropriated.

11. There are 1,850 inspectors working for OSHA.

As of 2020, OSHA employs 1,850 inspectors responsible for the well-being of 130 million workers. They are employed at more than eight million worksites around the US. This means there is approximately one compliance officer for every 70,000 workers.

12. There were more than 33,000 OSHA federal inspections for the fiscal year of 2019.

There were 33,393 total federal inspections in 2019 and 42,063 total State Plan inspections.

13. The total number of injuries per 100 full-time workers remained unchanged at 2.8 in 2020.

(US Bureau of Labor Statistics)

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employer-Related Workplace Injuries and Illnesses News Release , as of November 2020, 2.8 of every 100 workers were injured at their workplace. This number has remained unchanged since 2018. 

14. Occupational fatalities increased by 2% in 2019.

While there was a decline in workplace injuries, work accidents statistics for fatalities paint a grim picture: 5,333 workplace fatalities were recorded in 2019, representing a 2% increase in fatalities from 2018. As a matter of fact, since 2010, the number of fatalities has been on the rise.

15. US workplace injury rates have been on the decline since 1972, dropping by 75%.

As of 2019, the US recorded nearly 50 years of gradually reduced occupational hazards, as workplace injuries have decreased by 75% since 1972.

16. Direct costs of the top 10 most disabling US workplace injuries in 2020 amounted to $52.93 billion.

Workplace injury statistics by Statista inform us that the top 10 most disabling US workplace injuries had a total direct cost of  $52.93 billion.

17. Overexertion involving outside sources was responsible for 23.5% of all workplace injuries in the US . 

This made it the leading cause of most disabling US workplace injuries in 2020. In second place were the falls on the same level, responsible for 18.2% of all injuries. Being struck by an object or equipment and falling on a lower level accounted for 10.3% and 9.6% of disabling injuries, respectively.

18. Nearly 37,000 injuries in workplaces were caused by exposure to harmful substances or environments.

Exposure to harmful substances or environments was the sixth most common cause of occupational injuries in 2019 in the US, accounting for almost 37,000 injuries.

19. California and Texas had the highest number of workplace deaths for 2019: 451 and 608, respectively.

These two states also had the most workplace injuries - 3,799 in California and 1,876 in Texas. However, despite these high numbers, these states had relatively low rates of work-related fatalities. California had 2.3 fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers, and Texas had 3.8 per 100,000. 

20. Alaska had the highest incidence and fatality rates for the number of accidents per 100 full-time workers.

While Alaska may not have had the highest number of injuries or fatalities, with 14.1 incidents and fatalities for the number of accidents per 100 full-time workers, it has the highest incidence and fatality rates in the US.

21. OSHA estimates that powered industrial trucks or forklifts are responsible for around 96,700 injuries every year.

( medexpress ), of these injuries, 35,000 are considered severe., 22. explosions and fires are responsible for 3% of workplace injuries..

( Thomas Marchese )

They also have the highest casualty rate of all probable workplace accidents.

It would seem as though completely eradicating workplace accidents is impossible. With so many high-risk industries such as construction, the chance that there could occasionally be an accident leading to serious injury or death is highly probable. 

However, work injury statistics show that each year, the number of these accidents in the US is decreasing thanks to regulatory bodies such as OSHA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as increased compliance with work safety guidelines . 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some worker rights related to injury and illness reporting?

Workers have the right to report an injury and review a current log. They also have the right to review the summary of injuries and illnesses in the workplace.

What is the most common workplace injury?

According to workplace accidents statistics, the most common workplace injuries are slips, trips, and falls. Overexertion and bodily reaction are also among common workplace injuries.

How many workplace injuries are reported each year?

The International Labor Organization reports that every year, 2.3 million men and women experience accidents (injuries or exposure to diseases) in their workplace. 

What is the #1 cause of work-related fatalities?

As of 2019, falls were the number one cause of work-related fatalities. Approximately 36.5% of all deaths in the workplace occur as a result of employees falling.

What industry has the highest injury rate?

According to work injury statistics, the industry with the highest injury rate is the protective services industry. The industry sector experiencing the highest fatality rates per 100,000 workers, on the other hand, is the sector of agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting.

What is the most common non-fatal injury in the workplace?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, sprains, strains, and tears are the most common non-fatal workplace injury.

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‘Workers end up paying the price’: laborers call for safer building sites

Falls, slips and trips accounted for 865 worker fatalities in 2022 – more than 400 of whom worked in construction

W ooden planks with nails covered the site where Antonio, a construction day laborer in Houston, Texas, was helping clear fencing last December. The contractor that hired him provided no protection, he said – so when he slipped, and a nail struck him just above the ankle, it became “really swollen”.

Antonio was given hydrogen peroxide, and the contractor promised to get him medical attention the next day. But after developing a fever overnight, and with his ankle still swollen, he took himself to the emergency room.

Upon arrival, he was told if he had waited much longer, doctors might have needed to amputate his leg below the knee. “I spent about 16 days in the hospital,” Antonio, who requested to omit his last name for fear of retaliation, said.

After two weeks, the contractor – which had not picked up the phone the day after his accident – got in touch. They wanted to know “if I was ready to work”, Antonio said.

His injury was never reported to the proper authorities. He has not received compensation.

The incident was not unusual.

More than 450,000 workers were injured by falls, slips and trips in 2021 and 2022, according to official data, with 865 fatalities recorded in 2022 alone. Of those who died, more than 400 were construction workers, according to the Center for Construction Research and Training.

Employers are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) to protect workers from falls on the job, by providing guardrails, harnesses, scaffolding and personal safety gear when necessary, and provide training to workers.

“Construction is a dangerous industry, but falls are preventable, 100%,” said Ryan Papariello, safety and health specialist at the Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America. “We know how to prevent these incidents.”

But in many cases where injuries and fatalities of workers occur, basic Osha protections are not being followed, or implemented at all.

“Probably the most important to me is a general awareness of the job site, what’s going on around you, and the confidence to be able to stand up and say, ‘Stop, this is unsafe,’” said Anton Ruesing, executive director of the International Finishing Trades Institute. “A lot of workers don’t feel comfortable enough to say, ‘Hold on a second, that’s unsafe, and I’m not going to do that.’”

Antonio, for example, claimed he and other workers were not given proper breaks or enough water on the job, and had little recourse because if they speak up, they won’t be able to get work again.

“These contractors mislead you and lie about the job, they lie about the pay and end up paying less than the amount they promised,” he said. “They take advantage of us and that’s how they are lining their pockets, by abusing people like us.”

While Osha regularly issues citations and penalties in cases where a worker is killed on the job and safety protocols were not followed or implemented, its fines have been criticized as being too low to deter bad behavior by employers.

Legislation to modernize the federal agency in charge of protecting workers, including the expansion of its coverage to 24 states not currently covered, has stalled in Congress.

“Workers die and get injured when management basically fails to provide a safe workplace,” said Jessica Martinez, co-executive director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health. “Doing a job safely in construction and other industries requires time, money, management, attention and other resources. So when management decides not to spend that time, money and attention, then workers end up paying the price.”

“We’ve come a long way, but we still have a ways to go,” said Ruesing. “The fact that deaths and fatalities are figured into a job in terms of costs and insurance, it’s still disgusting.”

Gabriel Strathern fell to his death while working on a roofing job in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was 29.

Osha fined his employer on the job, the roof and window cleaning firm Squeaky Clean, about $17,000 for failing to provide fall protection or sufficient safety training.

During separate legal proceedings, the owner of Squeaky Clean, James Crisp, was asked why he had not reported Strathern’s death to Osha. “I didn’t know that I was required to,” he said, according to a copy of a deposition obtained by the Guardian.

Devin Gilgor, Strathern’s father, said: “A month before, Gabriel had fallen off a roof, but hadn’t sustained any serious injuries and when he asked about reporting the incident to Osha, his employer told him, ‘We don’t do Osha.’

“They knew this house was very dangerous, because the roof pitch was at a peak angle and he still wasn’t given any fall protection equipment.”

Gilgor explained that he was the one who reported the incident to Osha the next day, and that to this day he has never received a phone call or apology from his son’s employer.

The fines paid by Squeaky Clean, and other employers found in breach of the rules, are not enough, according to Gilgor. “When a death or permanent disability occurs on the job, the ability of an employer to negotiate fines should not be an option,” he said. “Not only civil but criminal charges need to be pursued. Avoiding workplace accidents should be our main focus.

“Employers need to be made aware of Osha regulations. Employees need to be made aware of their rights to a safe work environment and Osha needs to come up with better ways to reach the workplace.”

Squeaky Clean and an attorney representing Crisp did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

• Construction industry
• Workers' rights

Most viewed

Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention for Healthcare Workers

December 2010, dhhs (niosh) publication number 2011-123.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics [2009], the incidence rate of lost-workday injuries from slips, trips, and falls (STFs) on the same level in hospitals was 38.2 per 10,000 employees, which was 90% greater than the average rate for all other private industries combined (20.1 per 10,000 employees). STFs as a whole are the second most common cause of lost-workday injuries in hospitals.

Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention for Healthcare Workers pdf icon [PDF 979.73KB]

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Department of Labor releases 2023 injury, illness data

Osha trade release.

April 18, 2024 Contact: Office of Communications Phone: 202-693-1999

Agency continues effort to increase employer compliance

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released 2023 injury and illness data collected under the agency's new Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses regulation published July 2023.

The data include specific information submitted by more than 375,000 establishments on OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. It also includes individual injuries and illnesses for employers with 100 or more employees in select high-hazard industries.

In addition, OSHA has posted partial data from more than 850,000 OSHA Form 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses and Form 301 Injury and Illness Incident Report records.

Providing access to injury and illness data will help identify unsafe conditions and workplace hazards that may cause occupational injuries and illnesses. Recognizing these hazards will help identify ways to control or prevent them and reduce injuries and illnesses. This information will improve research on the occurrence, prevention and control of workplace hazards, injuries and illness types.

Over the last year, OSHA conducted extensive outreach through webinars, educational videos, social media, and monthly stakeholder emails to help employers understand their obligations and to properly submit 2023 data. The agency will continue its recordkeeping enforcement efforts by identifying establishments that failed to submit the required data.

OSHA is taking additional steps to protect worker privacy by reviewing the remaining data for certain personally identifiable information and will make additional data publicly available following this review.

Learn more about OSHA's injury and illness recordkeeping and reporting requirements .