OSHA Reports Decrease in Construction Fatalities Tied to Trench Collapses and Falls
The agency credits the change to strengthened safety initiatives and collaboration with labor stakeholders.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Nov 06, 2024
OSHA has reported a significant drop in workplace fatalities requiring investigation in the past year, attributed to intensified safety enforcement and increased collaboration.
According to a recent release, preliminary numbers indicate that federal OSHA investigated 826 worker deaths in fiscal year 2024, a reduction of 11 percent from 928 investigations in 2023. Excluding COVID-related cases, this is the lowest number of fatalities since 2017. In particular, OSHA reports a notable decrease in deaths related to trench collapses and falls, two of the leading causes of fatalities in construction.
“These numbers are promising evidence that stronger enforcement and collaboration with labor and management, driven by the Biden-Harris administration’s worker-centered approach, is saving lives,” OSHA Assistant Secretary Douglas Parker said in a statement. “Most striking is the improvement in areas we have focused on with employers and unions. Our state program partners have also seen improvements.”
Fatalities from falls investigated by federal OSHA dropped nearly 20 percent, from 234 to 189, while state OSHA programs reported a 15 percent decline. Trench collapses showed a decrease of nearly 70 percent since 2022, from 39 in 2022 to 15 in 2023, with 12 so far in 2024. OSHA credits this improvement to a strict “zero tolerance” policy, which includes prompt inspections and criminal referrals for unsafe trench practices.
“While fewer workers have died from the hazards OSHA investigates, we still lose more than 5,000 workers each year in largely preventable incidents. While we’re proud of this progress, our work is far from over,” Parker said. “Reducing worker deaths means embracing an approach that makes worker health and safety a core value in every workplace. Only then can we fully address all the causes and factors that lead to workers dying needlessly on the job.”
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.