Statement of US Labor Secretary Perez on fatal occupational injuries in 2015

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued a statement regarding today’s release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of its Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. The census shows a slight increase in 2015 in the number of fatal work injuries, the highest annual total since 2008. The census also finds that 4,836 workers died from work-related injuries in 2015, an increase from the 4,821 fatal injuries reported in 2014. Based on the results, the rate of fatal workplace injuries in 2015 was 3.38 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, lower than the 2014 rate of 3.43. The secretary’s statement follows: “These numbers underscore the urgent need for employers to provide a safe workplace for their employees as the law requires. We have a moral responsibility to make sure that workers who showed up to work today are still alive to punch the clock tomorrow. The fact is, we know how to prevent these deaths. The U.S. Department of Labor is – and will always be – committed to working with employers, workers, community organizations, unions and others to improve safety and health in our nation’s workplaces. This effort is essential to ensuring that no more workers are taken unnecessarily from their families.”