Construction Falls Lead Washington Workplace Hospitalization Statistics
A state study reveals that 537 workers required immediate inpatient care in 2024, with construction and manufacturing seeing the most incidents.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- Jul 16, 2026
A newly released study on severe workplace injuries reveals that 537 Washington state workers suffered traumatic incidents requiring immediate inpatient hospitalization in 2024. The data, compiled by the Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention program, shows a distinct trend in where and how the most critical workplace injuries occur.
The findings highlight falling as the single greatest threat to worker safety across all sectors. According to the data, falls accounted for the majority of all recorded hospitalizations, with 57% of those incidents classified as falls to a lower level.
Workplace danger was not distributed evenly across different fields. Laborers in the construction sector experienced the highest volume of hospitalizations, with over half of those cases directly caused by falls. Manufacturing operations recorded the second-highest tally of serious injuries requiring immediate inpatient admission.
The state compiles these metrics through the Work-Related Immediate Inpatient Hospitalization Surveillance System, which links state workers' compensation records with hospital discharge databases. State researchers monitor this data to pinpoint high-risk roles and assist employers in prioritizing safety interventions. A complete breakdown of the figures and risk factors is available in the program's 2024 industrial incident report.
About the Author
Jesse Jacobs is assistant editor of OHSOnline.com.