Falls. Fatigue. Fatalities.
Construction and the skilled trades are still among the most dangerous industries in America—and not just because of the heights and heavy equipment.
Behind every safety statistic is a jobsite habit, a leadership culture, or a quiet crisis. And while everyone says safety is the priority, the numbers tell a different story.
This snapshot highlights where the trades stand today—and where we go next.
By the Numbers: What the Data Shows
Construction Led All Industries in Fatalities in 2023
- 1,075 worker deaths in construction in 2023—the highest since 2011
- That’s 20% of all workplace fatalities in the U.S.
Falls Remain the #1 Cause of Death
- 39.2% of all construction fatalities were from falls, slips, or trips
- Most fatal falls (64%) were from heights between 6–30 feet
- 109 deaths were tied to portable ladders or stairs
Transportation Incidents Ranked Second
- 22.3% of construction deaths involved vehicles or transport-related incidents
The Risks You Don’t See on a Job Hazard Analysis
Suicide in the Trades
The most sobering safety threat isn’t a fall—it’s a feeling.
- Construction workers are five times more likely to die by suicide than workers in other industries.
- An estimated 6,000 workers in the trades died by suicide in 2022
- Construction has one of the highest suicide rates across all professions
What the Numbers Don’t Say
Safety isn’t just about PPE, paperwork, and toolbox talks. It’s about the systems we build—and the signals we send—on every job.
Here’s what safety leaders are shifting toward:
- From Reactive to Proactive: Anticipating risks with better planning, checklists, and communication tools.
- From Compliance to Culture: Making safety personal, not procedural.
- From Silence to Support: Bringing mental health into the open with real jobsite resources and peer-led programs.
Where We Go From Here
Want to hear what leading contractors are actually doing to change this?
Catch our conversation with Murphy Company’s Ricky Reams and Pan-Pacific Mechanical’s Rebecca Klein. We talk fall protection, safer tools, field habits, and mental health in the trades.
