Data shows progress; continued leadership and investment are needed to protect every worker.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Safety Council, America's leading nonprofit safety advocate, issued the following statement on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2024 fatal occupational injuries data, which showed 5,070 worker deaths – a second consecutive year of decline.
“Every decline in workplace fatalities represents a life saved and a family kept whole,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC CEO. “This progress shows that when employers focus on serious injury and fatality risks, invest in prevention and build strong safety cultures, lives are protected. But 5,070 deaths in a single year is still 5,070 too many. We must accelerate proven strategies that address the highest-risk exposures and ensure every worker gets home safe.”
The decline was largely driven by a 16.2% reduction in deaths from exposure to harmful substances or environments, including workplace drug and alcohol overdoses, which decreased from 512 in 2023 to 410 in 2024.
NSC urges continued investment in proven safety strategies – including the reintroduction of the WORK to Save Lives Act – and offers employers free tools and resources through the Work to Zero initiative and Respond Ready Workplace program.
About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for over 110 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace and roadways. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.
For media inquiries, please contact media@nsc.org.
With a century-long legacy, the National Safety Council is a global center for safety expertise. Let's work together to align resources. We look forward to learning about ways we can join efforts to expand safety everywhere!
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