Number of work fatalities in 2020: 135
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Number of work fatalities in 2020: 142
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Number of work fatalities in 2020: 148
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Number of work fatalities in 2020: 158
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Number of work fatalities in 2020: 189
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Number of work fatalities in 2020: 193
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Number of work fatalities in 2020: 223
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Number of work fatalities in 2020: 275
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Number of work fatalities in 2020: 463
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Number of work fatalities in 2020: 469
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During 2020, the U.S. saw more than 4,760 workplace fatalities, representing a decrease of 10.7% compared with the prior year, according to law firm Schmidt and Clark.
“Transportation incidents” accounted for the most fatalities, 1,778. Roadway collisions with “other vehicles and objects” were responsible for 1,038 of those deaths, Schmidt and Clark reported.
Exposure to harmful substances and environments was the second leading cause of work deaths, accounting for 805 fatalities. Contact with equipment or “objects,” and violence and other injuries by persons or animals each accounted for more than 700 deaths in 2020. Falls, slips and trips resulted in 672. Slightly more than 70 deaths were attributed to fires and explosions during the period.
Schmidt and Clark’s Collen Clark said in a release: “It was eye-opening, comparing the data on the workplaces that most commonly experience injuries according to factors such as sector, occupation and U.S. State. “We hope that our findings help create awareness of the problem of injury at work so that every employee has a safe work environment.”
Clark also noted the difference between the states that saw the most work-related fatalities and those that saw the fewest were stark. The states with the most work deaths had more than 400 employees die, while the state with the fewest, Rhode Island, recorded just five. Delaware and Vermont also saw few worker deaths, recording just seven and eight, respectively.
The above slideshow reveals the states that saw the most work fatalities during 2020, according to Schmidt and Clark, LLP.
