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For Immediate Release

February 6, 2024

CONTACT: Floyd Johnson
Director, Utah Occupational Safety and Health Division
Office: (801) 580-3095
Email: fjohnson@utah.gov

Fatal Work Injuries In Utah Increased During 2022

Salt Lake City – The Utah Labor Commission’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health Bureau of Labor Statistics (UOSH BLS), in conjunction with the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), has released the 2022 fatal occupational injury data for Utah. The information was obtained through the annual Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) administered by UOSH BLS.

The CFOI produces comprehensive, accurate and timely counts of fatal work injuries. To compile counts that are as complete as possible, the census uses multiple sources to identify, verify, and profile fatal worker injuries. Information about each workplace fatal injury—occupation and other worker characteristics, equipment involved, and circumstances of the event—is obtained by crossreferencing the source records, such as death certificates, workers’ compensation reports, and Federal and State agency administrative reports. In order to be included in the UOSH BLS CFOI, the following criteria are required:
  • the fatality must have resulted from a traumatic injury;
  • the traumatic injury must be related to work; and
  • the incident must have occurred in Utah.

The scope of CFOI incidents includes accidents, homicides and suicides that occur at the workplace.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2022 RESULTS

The number of work-related deaths in Utah increased from 52 in 2021 to 57 in 2022. The overall fatal injury rate for every 100,000 workers increased from 3.4 in 2021 to 3.6 in 2022. The reported national overall fatal injury rate for 2022 was 3.7.

The published fatal injury rates and counts by industry for 2022 are as follows:

Industry Fatal Injury (rate)
Construction 12.3
Transportation and utilities 9.6
Wholesale and retail trade 3.3
Professional and business services 3.1

 

Industry Fatal Injury (count)
Construction 17
Transportation and warehousing 8
Administrative and support and waste
management and remediation services		 6
Manufacturing 5
Retail trade 4
Wholesale trade 3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3
Educational services 1
Other* 10

Fatalities by Worker Activity

Worker Activity 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
TOTAL COUNTS 49 51 48 52 57
Vehicular and transportation operations 23 14 13 27 17
Using or operating tools, machinery * 2 1 * 4
Constructing, repairing, cleaning 11 12 11 11 15
Protective service activities 2 1 * * *
Material handling operations * 3 7 * 5
Physical activities, not elsewhere classified 1 8 3 4 *
Other activities * 4 * * 6
Other* 12 8 12 10 10

Fatalities by Event

Events 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
TOTAL COUNTS 49 51 48 52 57
Transportation 22 13 9 26 19
Contact with objects or equipment 7 4 7 9 5
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals 6 8 7 8 *
Falls, slips, trips 6 17 16 6 19
Exposure to harmful substances or environments 6 6 8 3 7
Fires and explosions 2 3 1 0 *
Other* 0 0 0 0 7

Fatalities by Event in Industries

  • Transportation incidents (19 fatalities)
    • Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles (9)
    • Aircraft Incidents (2)
    • Animal and other non-motorized land vehicle transportation incidents (2)
      • Pedal cycle collision in roadway (2)
    • Other* (6)
  • Falls, slips, trips (19 fatalities)
    • Falls to lower level (16)
      • Other fall to lower level 26 to 30 feet (3)
      • Other* (13)
    • Falls to same level (3)
  • Falls, slips, trips (6 fatalities)
    • Falls to lower level (6)
  • Exposure to harmful substances or environments (7 fatalities)
  • Contact with objects and equipment (5 fatalities)
    • Struck by object or equipment (5)
      • Struck by vehicle – nontransport (3)
      • Other * (2)

Fatalities by Worker Characteristic

  • Gender
    • 53 Men
    • 4 Women
  • Race or ethnic origin
    • 40 White (non-Hispanic)
    • 12 Hispanic or Latino
    • 5 Other*

*Other includes data that may not be available for specific categories

For more information regarding national fatality statistics, visit the BLS website at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm. For Utah specific fatality data, please refer to the accompanying tables and charts. There are additional tables and charts available upon request. For more information or to request a copy of the report from UOSH BLS, please contact:

Darin Hanson                                   Mechell Alder
(801) 530-6926                                (801) 530-6823
darinhanson@utah.gov                  mechellalder@utah.gov