Workplace Injuries: Which Industries Are Most Dangerous?

Every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes injury and illness data from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII). The headline number — total recordable cases per 100 full-time workers — is called the incidence rate, and it varies dramatically across industries.

How the Incidence Rate Works

The incidence rate is calculated as: (Number of cases × 200,000) ÷ Total hours worked. The 200,000 represents the hours 100 workers would log in a year (100 workers × 2,000 hours). A rate of 4.5 means 4.5 injuries per 100 full-time equivalent workers per year.

Only recordable cases count: work-related injuries or illnesses that result in days away from work, job restriction or transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, or diagnosis of a significant illness by a healthcare professional. Minor cuts requiring only a bandage are not counted.

High-Risk Industries

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing consistently show among the highest rates — livestock contact, operating machinery near crops, and exposure to pesticides all contribute. Nursing and residential care facilities have surprisingly high rates because healthcare workers suffer significant back injuries from patient handling. Construction's injury rate reflects falls, struck-by events, and equipment accidents.

The lowest rates tend to be in finance, professional services, and education — industries dominated by office work.

Fatal vs. Nonfatal

The SOII captures nonfatal injuries. Fatal workplace injuries are tracked by a separate program — the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). Construction, transportation, and agriculture dominate CFOI counts. Logging has the highest fatality rate of any occupation — around 100 fatalities per 100,000 workers annually, roughly 25× the all-industry average.

Explore industry injury rates at our injuries section.