Workplace-related deaths are increasing in Connecticut. The state’s Department of Labor said the number of work-related deaths in Connecticut in 2018 was the highest it’s been since 2010 and it rose 37 percent from 2017 to 2018.

In 2018 there were 48 people who were killed in work-related injuries, up 35 from the previous year. The rate went from 2.9 deaths to 2.8 deaths per 100,000 workers. In 2010 there were 49 fatal injuries in the state. Occupational fatalities fell in 2016 before starting to increase again.

In 2018, 19 deaths in Connecticut resulted from transportation incidents and 10 were the result of a fall, slip or trip. Eight deaths resulted from violence from other persons or animals, six were from exposure to harmful substances and five died from contact with equipment. Of the 48 deaths in 2018, 41 were males which is similar to the national trend of men comprising 92% of fatal deaths.

Nationally there were 5,250 fatal work-related injuries in 2018 according to the National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, up from 5,147 in 2017. The national fatal injury rate of 3.5 per 100,000 workers remains unchanged.

Texas had the most fatal occupational injuries in 2018 with 488, followed by California (422), Florida (322) and New York (271). Wyoming had the highest rate of deaths per 100,000 workers with 11.5 in 2018 followed by Alaska with a rate of 9.9 workers.

Fatal falls fell nationally, from 887 in 2017 to 791 in 2018. Transportation incidents remained the most frequent type of fatal event, with 2,080 transportation-related deaths in 2018 accounting for 40% of all work-related fatalities.

Unintentional overdose deaths due to non-medicinal use of drugs or alcohol increased 12 from 2017 to 2018. This is the sixth year in a row for increases in that category.

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