BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
04/01/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/01/2026 10:11
Fatal Work Injuries in Washington — 2024
News Release Information
26-586-SAN
Wednesday, April 01, 2026
Contacts Technical information:
- (415) 625-2270
- [email protected]
- www.bls.gov/regions/west
- (415) 625-2270
Fatal Work Injuries in Washington - 2024
Fatal work injuries totaled 102 in 2024 for Washington, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Washington was up 5.2 percent from 97 in 2023. (See chart 1.) The fatal work injury rate was 2.8 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2024, an increase from a rate of 2.7 in 2023. Nationwide, a total of 5,070 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2024, a 4.0-percent decrease from 5,283 in 2023. These data are from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI).
View Chart Data
Chart 1. Number of fatal occupational injuries by employee status, Washington, 2015-24
| Year | Total | Wage and salary | Self-employed |
|
2015 |
70 | 52 | 18 |
|
2016 |
78 | 59 | 19 |
|
2017 |
84 | 67 | 17 |
|
2018 |
86 | 71 | 15 |
|
2019 |
84 | 64 | 20 |
|
2020 |
83 | 68 | 15 |
|
2021 |
73 | 62 | 11 |
|
2022 |
104 | 90 | 14 |
|
2023 |
97 | 79 | 18 |
|
2024 |
102 | 87 | 15 |
|
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. |
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Transportation incidents were the most frequent type of fatal event in Washington, accounting for 29 percent of all fatal work injuries in the state. Nationally the share was 38 percent. (See chart 2 and table 1.) The total number of fatal transportation incidents increased to 30 in 2024 from 20 in 2023.
-
Exposure to harmful substances or environments (25) accounted for 25 percent of Washington workplace fatalities; nationally the share was 14 percent.
View Chart Data
Chart 2. Percent distribution of total fatal occupational injuries by event, United States and Washington, 2024
| Event | United States | Washington |
|
Transportation incidents |
38 | 29 |
|
Exposure to harmful substances, environments |
14 | 25 |
|
Violent acts |
14 | 19 |
|
Falls, slips, trips |
17 | 15 |
|
All other |
17 | 13 |
|
Note: Percents may not add to total due to rounding. |
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The construction sector and transportation and warehousing sector each had 16 fatalities. (See table 2.)
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Falls, slips, or trips resulted in 8 of the 16 construction sector fatalities. The specialty trade contractors subsector accounted for nine of the sector's fatal workplace injuries.
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Transportation incidents resulted in 6 of the 16 transportation and warehousing sector fatalities. The truck transportation subsector accounted for 11 of the sector's fatal workplace injuries.
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Farming, fishing, and forestry workers experienced the largest decrease (-6) in fatal work injuries over the year among the major occupational groups. (See table 3.)
-
The transportation and material moving occupational group had the highest number of fatal workplace injuries with 26. Transportation incidents resulted in 10 fatalities among these workers. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 13 of the major group's 26 fatal workplace injuries.
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Wage and salary workers accounted for 85 percent of workplace fatalities in Washington; the self-employed comprised the remaining 15 percent. (See chart 1 and table 4.) Nationally, wage and salary workers comprised 82 percent of fatalities.
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Males accounted for 88 percent of the work-related fatalities in Washington, compared to 92 percent nationally.
-
Workers aged 25-54 years old represented 54 percent of Washington's fatal work injuries, similar to the 55-percent national share. Workers 55 years and over had an increase in worker fatalities from 34 in 2023 to 44 in 2024.
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Fatalities among Hispanic or Latino workers rose from 17 in 2023 to 22 in 2024.
Technical Note
Background of the program. 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. For technical information and definitions for the CFOI, see the national CFOI release Technical notes, the BLS Handbook of Methods, and the CFOI definitions.
Acknowledgments. BLS thanks the Washington Department of Labor and Industries for their efforts in collecting accurate, comprehensive, and useful data on fatal work injuries. BLS also appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that provided source documents used to identify fatal work injuries nationally. See the national CFOI release Technical Notes for details on cooperating entities.
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Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, Washington, 2023-24| Event or Exposure (1) | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Number | Number | Percent (%) | |
|
All events and exposures |
97 | 102 | 100 |
|
Violent acts |
17 | 19 | 19 |
|
Homicides (violent acts by other person) |
9 | 12 | 12 |
|
Shooting by other person |
-- | 8 | 8 |
|
Suicides (intentional self-harm) |
8 | 7 | 7 |
|
Intentional self-harm-- hanging, strangulation, asphyxiation |
3 | 3 | 3 |
|
Transportation incidents |
20 | 30 | 29 |
|
Pedestrian incidents involving motorized land vehicles |
3 | 3 | 3 |
|
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle |
11 | 17 | 17 |
|
Roadway collision with other vehicle(s) |
4 | 10 | 10 |
|
Nonroadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles |
-- | 5 | 5 |
|
Nonroadway noncollision incident |
-- | 5 | 5 |
|
Falls, slips, trips |
21 | 15 | 15 |
|
Exposure to harmful substances, environments |
24 | 25 | 25 |
|
Exposure to harmful substances |
21 | 24 | 24 |
|
Contact incidents |
-- | 10 | 10 |
|
Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object |
-- | 4 | 4 |
|
Struck by falling object |
-- | 4 | 4 |
|
Struck, caught, or compressed by running powered equipment |
-- | 3 | 3 |
|
Footnotes: |
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|
Note: 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. 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. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. |
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| Industry | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Number | Number | Percent (%) | |
|
Total |
97 | 102 | 100 |
|
Private industry (1) |
89 | 90 | 88 |
|
Natural resources and mining |
-- | 6 | 6 |
|
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting |
15 | 6 | 6 |
|
Crop production |
7 | 4 | 4 |
|
Construction |
16 | 16 | 16 |
|
Construction |
16 | 16 | 16 |
|
Specialty trade contractors |
9 | 9 | 9 |
|
Building equipment contractors |
-- | 4 | 4 |
|
Manufacturing |
6 | 8 | 8 |
|
Manufacturing |
6 | 8 | 8 |
|
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
26 | 29 | 28 |
|
Wholesale trade |
3 | 7 | 7 |
|
Retail trade |
6 | 6 | 6 |
|
Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers |
-- | 1 | 1 |
|
Building material and supplies dealers |
-- | 1 | 1 |
|
Other building material dealers |
-- | 1 | 1 |
|
General merchandise retailers |
-- | 3 | 3 |
|
Transportation and warehousing |
17 | 16 | 16 |
|
Truck transportation |
10 | 11 | 11 |
|
Transit and ground passenger transportation |
3 | 3 | 3 |
|
Information |
-- | -- | -- |
|
Financial activities |
-- | -- | -- |
|
Professional and business services |
-- | 10 | 10 |
|
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services |
7 | 10 | 10 |
|
Administrative and support services |
7 | 6 | 6 |
|
Waste management and remediation services |
-- | 4 | 4 |
|
Educational and health services |
5 | 4 | 4 |
|
Health care and social assistance |
5 | 4 | 4 |
|
Leisure and hospitality |
-- | -- | -- |
|
Accommodation and food services |
9 | 9 | 9 |
|
Accommodation |
1 | 4 | 4 |
|
Food services and drinking places |
8 | 5 | 5 |
|
Restaurants and other eating places |
4 | 3 | 3 |
|
Restaurants and other eating places |
4 | 3 | 3 |
|
Full-service restaurants |
-- | 3 | 3 |
|
Other services (except public administration) |
-- | 4 | 4 |
|
Other services (except public administration) |
-- | 4 | 4 |
|
Government (2) |
8 | 12 | 12 |
|
Federal government |
2 | 4 | 4 |
|
State government |
3 | -- | -- |
|
Local government |
3 | 6 | 6 |
|
Footnotes: |
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|
Note: 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. 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. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. |
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| Occupation (1) | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Number | Number | Percent (%) | |
|
All occupations |
97 | 102 | 100 |
|
Management occupations |
5 | 5 | 5 |
|
Other management occupations |
-- | 5 | 5 |
|
Food service managers |
-- | 1 | 1 |
|
Food service managers |
-- | 1 | 1 |
|
Business and financial operations occupations |
-- | 5 | 5 |
|
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
7 | 6 | 6 |
|
Building cleaning and pest control workers |
-- | 3 | 3 |
|
Grounds maintenance workers |
6 | 3 | 3 |
|
Grounds maintenance workers |
6 | 3 | 3 |
|
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers |
-- | 3 | 3 |
|
Personal care and service occupations |
1 | 4 | 4 |
|
Animal care and service workers |
-- | 1 | 1 |
|
Animal caretakers |
-- | 1 | 1 |
|
Animal caretakers |
-- | 1 | 1 |
|
Sales and related occupations |
5 | 6 | 6 |
|
Supervisors of sales workers |
-- | 3 | 3 |
|
First-line supervisors of sales workers |
-- | 3 | 3 |
|
Retail sales workers |
-- | 3 | 3 |
|
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
11 | 5 | 5 |
|
Construction and extraction occupations |
15 | 16 | 16 |
|
Construction trades workers |
12 | 14 | 14 |
|
Construction laborers |
4 | 6 | 6 |
|
Construction laborers |
4 | 6 | 6 |
|
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
8 | 5 | 5 |
|
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
-- | 3 | 3 |
|
Production occupations |
4 | 7 | 7 |
|
Transportation and material moving occupations |
24 | 26 | 25 |
|
Motor vehicle operators |
15 | 19 | 19 |
|
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers |
12 | 15 | 15 |
|
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers |
9 | 13 | 13 |
|
Passenger vehicle drivers |
3 | 4 | 4 |
|
Water transportation workers |
1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Sailors and marine oilers |
1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Sailors and marine oilers |
1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Material moving workers |
5 | 6 | 6 |
|
Laborers and material movers |
-- | 3 | 3 |
|
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
-- | 3 | 3 |
|
Footnotes: |
|||
|
Note: 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. 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. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. |
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| Demographic | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Number | Number | Percent (%) | |
|
Total |
97 | 102 | 100 |
|
Employee status |
|||
|
Wage and salary workers (1) |
79 | 87 | 85 |
|
Self-employed (2) |
18 | 15 | 15 |
|
Sex |
|||
|
Male |
85 | 90 | 88 |
|
Female |
12 | 12 | 12 |
|
Age (3) |
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|
Under 16 years |
-- | -- | -- |
|
16 to 17 years |
-- | -- | -- |
|
18 to 19 years |
-- | -- | -- |
|
20 to 24 years |
-- | -- | -- |
|
25 to 34 years |
15 | 22 | 22 |
|
35 to 44 years |
23 | 15 | 15 |
|
45 to 54 years |
23 | 18 | 18 |
|
55 to 64 years |
19 | 24 | 24 |
|
65 years and over |
15 | 20 | 20 |
|
Race or ethnic origin (4) |
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|
White, non-Hispanic |
59 | 58 | 57 |
|
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic |
5 | 4 | 4 |
|
Hispanic or Latino |
17 | 22 | 22 |
|
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic |
-- | -- | -- |
|
Asian, non-Hispanic |
5 | 7 | 7 |
|
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic |
-- | -- | -- |
|
Person of multiple races, non-Hispanic |
5 | 5 | 5 |
|
Other or not reported, non-Hispanic |
-- | -- | -- |
|
Footnotes: |
|||
|
Note: 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. 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. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. |
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BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published this content on April 01, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 01, 2026 at 16:11 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]