National COSH, ASSP Respond to Latest BLS Data on Worker Fatalities
National COSH and ASSP respond to new workplace fatality data, urging stronger safety measures and addressing systemic disparities.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Dec 24, 2024
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ release of the 2023 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) has prompted renewed calls for action from workplace safety advocates.
The report revealed 5,283 workplace fatalities last year, a 3.7 percent decrease from 2022. However, organizations such as the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) and the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) emphasize that the numbers remain high and highlight preventable hazards.
Jessica E. Martinez, executive director of National COSH, pointed to systemic inequities and the need for stronger protections. “Workers know their jobs. They know where the hazards are and how to eliminate them,” Martinez said in a statement. “Every worker deserves to come home safe and sound at the end of every shift. The way to achieve that goal is to listen to workers, take action and put their ideas into practice”
Martinez called for enforceable protections through union contracts or empowered workplace safety committees and new regulations addressing hazards like extreme heat, infectious diseases, and workplace violence. She also noted that many workplace fatalities, including those related to long-term occupational illnesses, go unreported.
ASSP President Pam Walaski also called for proactive measures. “Most occupational incidents are preventable given today’s technologies and proven safety and health strategies,” Walaski said in a statement. She highlighted the importance of adopting voluntary national consensus standards which “can transform safety programs from compliance-based cost centers into corporate sustainability initiatives that save lives.”
The ASSP also promotes prevention through design, embedding safety into workplace planning, and fostering partnerships with research and sustainability organizations. These measures aim to transform safety programs from compliance-based models into initiatives that save lives and improve organizational outcomes.
Both organizations agree that the reduction in fatalities is progress, but more work is needed to ensure all workers return home safely. Black workers faced a fatality rate of 3.6 per 100,000 full-time workers, slightly above the national average of 3.5, while Hispanic or Latino workers had a rate of 4.4. Over two-thirds of fatalities among Hispanic or Latino workers involved immigrants, underscoring safety disparities.
Details on the 2023 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries are on the BLS website.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.