Connecticut’s workforce lost 48 lives to on-the-job injuries in 2018 — a rate of 2.8 deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. An increase from 2017’s count of 35, it is higher than Connecticut’s annual average of 39 work-related deaths.
The figures from the state’s Department of Labor were published in the February edition of the Connecticut Economic Digest, a joint publication of the DOL and the state’s Department of Economic & Community Development.
The construction industry recorded 13 workplace fatalities in Connecticut, accounting for 27.1 percent of 2018’s deaths. Administration and support and waste management and remediation services were responsible for 12 deaths (in each of the two industry sectors), accounting for 25.0 percent of all fatalities, according to the DOL.
With an overall rate of 2.8 deaths per 100,000 workers, Connecticut recorded a rate of 10.9 in construction, 10.2 in transportation and utilities, and 5.4 in professional and business services.
Nationally, 5,250 lives were lost to workplace injuries in 2018, an increase from 2017’s 5,147 deaths. However, the fatal injury rate remained unchanged from 2017 — 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers.
On a nationwide level the construction industry recorded the highest number of deaths at 1,008, followed by transportation and warehousing with 874 deaths. The highest rate by industry was seen in truck transportation, with 28.3 deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers.
The highest loss was seen in Texas with 488 deaths, followed by California with 422 deaths and Florida with 332 deaths. High rates were recorded in Wyoming (11.5) and Alaska (9.9). Delaware recorded both the lowest loss and the lowest rate with 7 deaths and a rate of 1.6.
Connecticut’s 48 workplace fatalities ranked No. 35 nationally among all states plus the District of Columbia.
Worker characteristics
Of Connecticut’s 48 work-related deaths, 41 were men. This mirrors the national trend: 92 percent of 2018’s work-related deaths across the U.S. were men. Thirty-four of the workers were wage and salary workers; 14 were self- employed. Sixty-seven percent (32) of deaths were Caucasian and 14 were Hispanic or Latino.
Twelve workers were foreign-born. Nationwide, foreign born workers made up 20 percent of total fatal injuries. Forty percent of these workers were born in Mexico, followed by 17 percent from Asian countries.
Historically, the U.S. loses the most workers to transportation incidents. The year 2018 saw 2,080 lives lost to transportation incidents — 40 percent of all work-related deaths. Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second most common event with 828 deaths (16 percent). Workplace homicides claimed 453 lives and suicides claimed 304. Falls, slips and trips represented the third most common event with 791 deaths (15 percent).
With 19 deaths, transportation incidents claimed the most lives in Connecticut, accounting for 40 percent of total deaths in 2018. Falls, slips and trips posted the largest increase from 2017 – from four deaths to 10. Over the past five years, Connecticut has lost 190 lives to workplace injuries. Thirty-six percent were transportation-related. Violence and other injuries by persons or animals claimed 21 percent, followed by falls, slips and trips at 18 percent.
