Bureau of Labor Statistics Reports Increase in Fatal Occupational Injuries in New York City

Fatal work injuries totaled 87 in 2017 for New York City, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported yesterday, with the number of work-related fatalities in New York City rising by 31 from 2016. Falls, slips, and trips accounted for 31 fatal work injuries, and violence and other injuries by persons or animals resulted in 24 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 63 percent of all workplace fatalities in New York City. The number of workplace deaths due to falls, slips, and trips rose by 18 over the year, while the number of worker fatalities from violence and other injuries by persons or animals increased by 4 from the previous year.

Exposure to harmful substances or environments was the third-most frequent fatal work event with 14 fatalities, followed by transportation incidents with 11 work-related deaths. Both of these event categories were up from 2016. The private construction industry sector had the highest number of workplace fatalities in New York City with 20, little changed from the previous year. Read the full report here.