Worker Deaths Decline as OSHA Focuses on Safety Enforcement and Education

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) highlights a notable decline in worker fatalities due to increased safety initiatives and focused enforcement efforts. OSHA reported 826 worker deaths in fiscal year 2024, marking an 11% decrease from 2023 and the lowest figure since 2017 when excluding Covid-related fatalities. Fatal falls in the construction sector, a major cause of industry injuries and deaths, saw a nearly 20% reduction from the previous year, falling from 234 to 189 incidents.

The report attributes these declines to federal and state OSHA programs that have implemented targeted outreach, education, and enforcement policies, especially within high-risk areas such as trench work and fall-prone construction tasks. Trench-related fatalities fell nearly 70% from 39 in 2022 to 15 in 2023, following OSHA’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy for unprotected trench hazards and collaborative efforts with industry safety programs.

These results underscore OSHA’s mission to mitigate workplace hazards by combining regulatory oversight with active safety education. Through partnerships with industry and state OSHA programs, the agency aims to sustain and improve workplace safety outcomes across the private sector.