OSHA’s Doug Parker Issues Statement on Latest BLS Data on Worker Fatalities
OSHA Assistant Secretary has issued a statement on the latest BLS data regarding a decrease in worker injuries since the previous year.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Jan 06, 2025
The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released its 2023 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, showing a decline in the number and rate of fatal workplace injuries. Now OSHA Assistant Secretary Doug Parker responded to the data.
"Today's report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is more positive news for worker safety and health,” Parker said in the statement. “In November, the bureau reported a 20-year low in the rate of non-fatal worker injuries and illnesses in 2023, and we are further encouraged by the news that the number and rate of fatal worker injuries also dropped in 2023.”
According to the BLS report, 5,283 workers lost their lives on the job in 2023, a decrease from previous years. This translates to one fatality every 99 minutes, highlighting the persistent risks many workers face. Parker credited the Biden administration’s worker-focused policies, including enhanced enforcement and collaborative safety initiatives, for contributing to the improved statistics.
"Whether it is our enforcement initiatives, our promotion of workplace safety and health management systems, or our initiatives to support workplace mental health and safe driving and prevent worker drug overdoses, it all makes a difference in saving lives at work,” Parker continued. "There was a meaningful decline in the number of fatal injuries to Black workers of 10.2 percent, and the rate for Latino workers dropped from 4.6 to 4.4 per 100,000 workers. Addressing high rates among these populations and recognizing the disproportionate impact of work hazards on workers of color enable more workers to end their shifts safely.
OSHA plans to continue its focus on workplace mental health, drug overdose prevention and safe driving initiatives. 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.