Workplace Injury Rates by Industry and the PPE That Addresses Them (2026 Data Study)
Every figure below comes from a primary federal source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), or the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). Each source was opened directly on 2026-09-30, and each figure links to it. Figures that could not be confirmed on a primary source were left out rather than estimated. The most recent published data are used: 2024 for injury rates and fatalities, the combined 2023–2024 period for case characteristics (BLS now publishes these on a two-year basis), and OSHA fiscal year 2025 for citations.
1. Total recordable injury and illness rates by industry sector (2024)
Private industry employers reported 2.5 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2024, down 3.1 percent from 2023. BLS notes this is the lowest number of employer-reported injuries and illnesses in the data series going back to 2003. The total recordable case (TRC) rate was 2.3 cases per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2024, down from 2.4 in 2023 (BLS, “Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses — 2023-2024,” USDL-26-0101, released Jan. 22, 2026).
| Industry sector (private industry) | TRC rate per 100 FTE workers, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Private industry, total | 2.3 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4.4 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3.9 |
| Health care and social assistance | 3.4 |
| Educational and health services | 3.2 |
| Retail trade | 3.0 |
| Natural resources and mining | 2.8 |
| Leisure, entertainment, and hospitality | 2.8 |
| Manufacturing | 2.7 |
| Construction | 2.2 |
| Wholesale trade | 2.2 |
| Utilities | 1.9 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 1.6 |
| Professional and business services | 1.0 |
| Information | 0.7 |
| Finance and insurance | 0.3 |
2. Days-away-from-work (DAFW) cases by event and by body part (2023–2024 combined)
BLS now reports the details of serious cases (what caused them and which body part was hurt) over two-year periods. Over 2023–2024 combined there were 1,834,600 private-industry cases involving at least one day away from work. That is an annualized rate of 86.6 cases per 10,000 FTE workers, with a median of 8 days away (BLS news release; BLS Table 2). All counts in this section are totals for both years together. They are not single-year 2024 figures.
| Event or exposure | DAFW cases, 2023–24 combined | Share of all DAFW cases | Annualized rate per 10,000 FTE | Median days away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All events or exposures | 1,834,600 | 100% | 86.6 | 8 |
| Contact incidents | 499,270 | 27.2% | 23.6 | 5 |
| Overexertion, repetitive motion, and bodily conditions | 492,140 | 26.8% | 23.2 | 14 |
| Falls, slips, trips | 479,480 | 26.1% | 22.6 | 13 |
| Exposure to harmful substances or environments | 196,540 | 10.7% | 9.3 | 5 |
| Transportation incidents | 91,690 | 5.0% | 4.3 | 16 |
| Violent acts | 54,510 | 3.0% | 2.6 | 6 |
| Part of body affected | DAFW cases, 2023–24 combined | Share of all DAFW cases |
|---|---|---|
| All body parts (total) | 1,834,600 | 100% |
| Upper extremities (total) | 539,320 | 29.4% |
| — of which, hand | 237,780 | 13.0% |
| Lower extremities (total) | 449,870 | 24.5% |
| — of which, foot | 92,740 | 5.1% |
| Trunk (total) | 323,730 | 17.6% |
| — of which, back | 248,180 | 13.5% |
| Head (total) | 169,800 | 9.3% |
| — of which, eye(s) | 39,780 | 2.2% |
3. Fatal work injuries by event (2024)
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) recorded 5,070 fatal work injuries in the United States in 2024. That is down 4.0 percent from 5,283 in 2023 (BLS, “National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2024,” USDL-26-0230, released Feb. 19, 2026). Fatal falls, slips and trips fell from 885 in 2023 to 844 in 2024.
| Event or exposure | Fatalities, 2024 | Share of all fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| All fatal work injuries | 5,070 | 100% |
| Transportation incidents | 1,937 | 38.2% |
| Falls, slips, trips (total) | 844 | 16.6% |
| — of which, fall to lower level | 666 | 13.1% |
| — of which, slip, trip, stumble or fall on same level | 150 | 3.0% |
| Contact incidents | 756 | 14.9% |
| Violent acts | 733 | 14.5% |
| Exposure to harmful substances, environments | 687 | 13.6% |
| Explosions and fires | 93 | 1.8% |
4. OSHA’s most frequently cited standards, fiscal year 2025
OSHA publishes a ranked list of its 10 most frequently cited standards for fiscal year 2025 (Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025). OSHA’s page gives the ranking but not the citation counts, so no counts are shown here.
- 29 CFR 1926.501 — Fall Protection, general requirements (construction)
- 29 CFR 1910.1200 — Hazard Communication (general industry)
- 29 CFR 1926.1053 — Ladders (construction)
- 29 CFR 1910.147 — Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout) (general industry)
- 29 CFR 1910.134 — Respiratory Protection (general industry)
- 29 CFR 1926.451 — Scaffolding (construction)
- 29 CFR 1926.503 — Fall Protection Training (construction)
- 29 CFR 1910.178 — Powered Industrial Trucks (general industry)
- 29 CFR 1926.102 — Eye and Face Protection (construction)
- 29 CFR 1910.212 — Machine Guarding (general industry)
Source: OSHA, “Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards,” FY2025.
5. Hazard, PPE category and governing standard
| Hazard | Protection category | General industry (29 CFR 1910) | Construction (29 CFR 1926) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls from height | Guardrail, safety net and personal fall protection systems | 1910.28 (duty to have fall protection; 4-ft trigger for most surfaces) and 1910.140 (personal fall protection systems) | 1926.501 (duty to have fall protection; 6-ft trigger for most surfaces) and 1926.502 (systems criteria and practices) |
| Falling or flying objects striking the head | Head protection | 1910.135 | 1926.100 |
| Flying particles, chemical splash, radiant energy | Eye and face protection | 1910.133 | 1926.102 |
| Airborne contaminants | Respiratory protection | 1910.134 | 1926.103 (requirements identical to 1910.134) |
| Cuts, abrasions, punctures, chemical contact to hands | Hand protection | 1910.138 | No stand-alone hand section; 1926.95 (criteria for PPE) applies |
| Crushing, puncture to feet | Foot protection | 1910.136 | 1926.96 |
| Electrical shock | Electrical protective equipment | 1910.137 | 1926.97 |
| Noise | Hearing protection | 1910.95 (occupational noise exposure) | 1926.101 |
| All workplace hazards | Hazard assessment, PPE selection, training | 1910.132 (general requirements) | 1926.95 (criteria for PPE) |
6. Key takeaways
- The private-industry TRC rate was 2.3 per 100 FTE workers in 2024, down from 2.4. The count of 2.5 million cases was the lowest in the series going back to 2003.
- Transportation and warehousing (4.4) and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (3.9) had TRC rates roughly 1.9 and 1.7 times the private-industry rate of 2.3. Health care and social assistance (3.4) and retail trade (3.0) were also above average.
- Serious nonfatal cases are split fairly evenly among three causes. Over 2023–24, contact incidents (27.2% of DAFW cases), overexertion (26.8%) and falls, slips and trips (26.1%) each made up just over a quarter. PPE addresses parts of the contact and fall risks, but overexertion is mainly controlled through job design and handling methods.
- By body part, the upper extremities were the largest group (29.4% of DAFW cases). Among detailed body parts listed, the back (248,180) and the hand (237,780) had the most cases. Hand cases outnumbered eye cases (39,780) about six to one, but eye protection standards appear in OSHA’s top-10 citation list and hand protection standards do not.
- Falls, slips and trips were the second-largest cause of workplace deaths in 2024 (844, or 16.6%), after transportation incidents (1,937, or 38.2%). Transportation incidents are a small share of nonfatal DAFW cases (5.0% in 2023–24) but the largest share of deaths. Note that the nonfatal and fatal figures cover different periods.
- Fall hazards dominate OSHA’s FY2025 citation list. Fall protection (1926.501) ranks #1, ladders in construction (1926.1053) #3, and fall protection training (1926.503) #7.
- Two PPE-specific standards made the FY2025 top 10: respiratory protection (1910.134, #5) and construction eye and face protection (1926.102, #9). Citation rankings reflect what inspectors found during inspections. They are not a measure of injury volume, and this study has no data to link the two.
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Methodology & Sources
All figures were taken from the primary sources listed below, opened on 2026-09-30. Nonfatal injury rates and fatal injury counts are for calendar year 2024, the latest BLS has published. Event and body-part details for days-away-from-work cases come from BLS’s biennial release, which combines 2023 and 2024. Those counts are two-year totals, and BLS reports their rates on an annualized basis. All percentage shares, except the 38.2% transportation share stated by BLS, are our own calculations. Each one divides one BLS count by another from the same table and is rounded to one decimal place. BLS does not publish them. Comparisons of nonfatal and fatal shares mix a 2023–24 period with 2024 alone and should be read as broad patterns. OSHA’s FY2025 top-10 list is shown without citation counts because OSHA’s page does not publish them. Counts specific to ladders, scaffolds or hand-protection failures are not reported in these BLS tables, so they are not included. Regulation section numbers and titles reflect the eCFR version current on the access date.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses — 2023-2024”, news release USDL-26-0101, Jan. 22, 2026.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, SOII Table 1, “Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry and case types, 2024”.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, SOII news release Table 2, DART/DAFW/DJTR cases by selected event or exposure, private industry, 2023-24.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, SOII Table R2, cases by industry and selected parts of body affected, private industry, 2023-2024 (Excel file).
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, “National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2024”, news release USDL-26-0230, Feb. 19, 2026.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, CFOI news release Table 2, “Fatal occupational injuries for selected events or exposures, 2023-24”.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, “Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards”, fiscal year 2025.
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29, current version. Sections checked: 1910.28, 1910.95, 1910.132, 1910.133, 1910.134, 1910.135, 1910.136, 1910.137, 1910.138, 1910.140; 1926.95, 1926.96, 1926.97, 1926.100, 1926.101, 1926.102, 1926.103, 1926.501, 1926.502.
Cite this study
BlogFans, “Workplace Injury Rates by Industry and the PPE That Addresses Them,” 2026. Based on BLS SOII (2024; case details 2023–2024), BLS CFOI (2024), OSHA FY2025 top-10 cited standards, and 29 CFR Parts 1910 and 1926. https://blogfans.org/workplace-injury-rates-ppe-data-study/
You may cite or reuse these tables with attribution and a link to https://blogfans.org/workplace-injury-rates-ppe-data-study/.