b'from 39 in 2022 to 15 in 2023 and, to date, 12 in calendar Department of Labor encouraged byyear 2024. These decreases follow intensive outreach and decline in worker death investigationseducation by OSHA and industry partners, work by state plans and aggressive enforcement under a zero tolerance Initiatives lead to significant reductions in fatal trenchpolicy for unprotected trenches, including immediate collapses, fallsinspections and referrals for criminal prosecution where warranted. WASHINGTONFewer workers are dying from hazards where the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration has focused its enforcement resources. Preliminary agency data show a decrease in fatalities the agency is mandated to investigate, including significant reductions in fatal injuries from trench collapses and falls, two of the leading causes of death among construction industry workers. While fewer workers have died from the hazards OSHA These numbers are promising evidence that strongerinvestigates, we still lose more than 5,000 workers each enforcement and collaboration with labor andyear in largely preventable incidents. While were proud of management, driven by the Biden-Harris administrationsthis progress, our work is far from over. Reducing worker worker-centered approach, is saving lives, said Assistantdeaths means embracing an approach that makes worker Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Douglashealth and safety a core value in every workplace. Only Parker. Most striking is the improvement in areas wethen can we fully address all the causes and factors that lead have focused on with employers and unions. Our stateto workers dying needlessly on the job, added Parker. program partners have also seen improvements. Visit OSHAs website to learn more about its emphasis In fiscal year 2024, federal OSHA investigated 826programs and how to prevent falls and trench collapses. worker deaths, an 11 percent reduction from 928 in theOSHA offers free and confidential compliance assistance to previous year. Excluding Covid-related deaths, this is thesmall and medium sized businesses to identify and fix lowest number of worker fatalities OSHA has beenhazards, establish or improve safety and health programs, mandated to investigate since FY 2017.and comply with OSHA standards. Editors Note: The federal OSHA data referenced in this release only covers areas where federal OSHA exercises jurisdiction. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports more comprehensive annual worker fatality data, which includes deaths in cases where OSHA jurisdiction or its ability to investigate is limited, such as public roadway incidents, suicides and overdoses, as well as worker deaths not OSHAs National Emphasis Program on Falls, the leadingcovered by federal OSHA, such as private sector employees cause of serious work-related injuries and fatalities in thecovered by state OSHA programs, state and local public construction industry, saw fatal falls investigated byemployees, the self-employed, and most employees of small federal OSHA drop from 234 to 189, a decrease of almostagricultural operations. While preliminary analysis 20 percent. Preliminary data from state OSHA programs,indicates improvements in state plan states, OSHA must pending validation by federal OSHA, indicates more thanconduct additional validation of state data. 15 percent fewer fatalities in state jurisdictions. Currently,Media Contacts: federal OSHA covers about 60 percent of private-sector employees and approved state programs cover thePatrick Malone, 202-693-4631 remaining workers.malone.patrick.m@dol.gov Paloma Renteria, 202-579-1643 renteria.paloma.b@dol.gov Release Number: 24-2285-NAT National reporting by federal and state OSHA programs show worker deaths in trench collapses declined nearly 70 percent since calendar year 2022. Fatalities decreased 10'