Workplace Fatality Rate for 2018 Unchanged From Prior Year (1)

The likelihood of dying on the job didn’t change in 2018, according to workplace fatality numbers released Dec. 17 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The fatality rate was 3.5 deaths for every 100,000 full-time worker equivalents, the same as in 2017 and below the 2016 rate of 3.6.

Overall, 5,250 workers died in the U.S., up 2% from 5,147, the BLS said. While the number of deaths increased, the rate remained the same because of the larger workforce.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration oversees safety compliance. After the release of the numbers, Loren Sweatt, who leads OSHA ...