The AFL-CIO Reports 14 Workers Die Daily Because of Workforce Injuries

14 American workers will die on an average day, according to
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). The AFL-CIO recently released their 27th annual report on the state of safety and health protections for America’s workers, and their findings are as tragic as ever.

The Data Reveals:

• An average of 14 workers die because of job injuries each day
• In 2016, 5,190 workers lost their lives on the job as a result of traumatic injuries
• Another 50,000-60,000 workers will die from occupational diseases each year
• At least 150 workers die each day due to job injuries and illnesses

As a whole, nearly 3.7 million workers across all industries had reported work-related injuries and illnesses, with 2.9 million injuries and illnesses reported in private industry.

“These numbers are very concerning. The number of workers killed is almost 7% higher than reported in last year’s AFL-CIO study,” said Josh LeBrun, President & Chief Operating Officer of eCompliance.

He added, “What’s concerning is the injury numbers are likely much, much higher. We’re still seeing chronic under-reporting when it comes to workplace injuries.”

In fact, the AFL-CIO has stated the true injury toll is likely 2x or 3x greater, which would put it around 7.4 million to 11.1 million injuries and illnesses a year.

The Financial Impact of Workplace Safety

The report also values the cost of these injuries and illnesses at a staggering $250 billion to $360 billion a year.

To put that number in perspective, the direct medical costs (total of all health care costs) for cancer in the US in 2015 were $80.2 billion.

Who is Most Frequently Injured?

The data also points to several demographics as particularly vulnerable to workplace injuries or deaths. For example, 67% of the Latino workers killed on the job were immigrant workers.

Elsewhere, workers aged 65 and older have fatality rates 2.5 times higher than the national average, while we have seen a 158% increase in people from that age bracket on the workforce since 1990.

How Do I Protect My Company and My Workforce?

Did these numbers get your attention? We are committed to eliminating 1,000,000 workplace incidents by the year 2020.

Embracing a participation safety culture protects your workforce, and contrary to popular belief, it can also help your bottom line.

Find out how by downloading our Whitepaper on the ROI of Safety →