Currently, work-related injuries in the U.S. claim about 15 people’s lives a day.
To put this number in perspective, when the nation first observed Workers Memorial Day on April 28, 1970, an estimated 38 U.S. workers suffered fatal on-the-job injuries each day, OSHA noted. The agency points out that many more endured debilitating respiratory diseases and other life-altering illnesses related to workplace exposures took place in that time period as well.
In 2022, a reported 5,486 workers suffered fatal injuries, an increase of 296 worker deaths from 2021.
“As we honor our fallen workers on Workers Memorial Day, we must remember that behind each workplace fatality there are loved ones enduring unimaginable grief,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker, in statement. “It is for the lost workers and those left behind that we continue to fight for every worker’s right to a safe working environment. Our mission at OSHA is to ensure that when someone leaves for work, they know they’ll come home safe at the end of the day to the arms of their families and loved ones.”
On this year's Workers Memorial Day, OSHA hosted a week-long series of events from April 22-25 to educate employers on the importance of safe workplaces.
On April 25 the series culminated at an in-person event where OSHA and MSHA leaders joined AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Stacy Sebald with the United Support & Memorial for Workplace Fatalities, whose 19-year-old son Mitchell McDaniel suffered fatally injuries in an agriculture incident in 2019.
“We come together on Workers Memorial Day to remember those we have lost in workplace accidents and to prevent work-related illnesses,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson, in a statement. “At MSHA, we know a safe workplace isn’t a privilege – it’s every miner’s right. It is in the memory of fallen workers that we continue to advocate for each miner’s safety, health and dignity.”