The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released the preliminary data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) for 2014. There where 4,659 fatal work injuries in 2014. This is the highest number of fatalities since 2011.
This high number of deaths on work sites is mostly explained by a revitalized economy and a decline in the unemployment rate in 2014. The rate of workers fatalities stayed the same as the previous year with 3.3 fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. Over the long term, the rate of worker fatalities has been slowly decreasing over the years indicating safer work conditions globally.
40% of the fatalities were caused by a transportation accident. Among transportation related fatalities, more than half of them where accidents on roadways. Accidents involving pedestrian workers being struck by vehicles represented the second largest category of fatal occupational injuries caused by transportation accidents.