Minnesota’s fatal workplace injuries remain steady in 2022, report finds
File photo combine harvester gathers wheat in fields. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minnesota’s fatal workplace injuries remained relatively steady in 2022 compared to the year before, but some industries and groups saw an uptick in fatalities.
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) reports 81 Minnesotans were fatally injured on the job in 2022, compared to 80 fatal work injuries recorded in 2021, according to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry press release on Wednesday.
While the fatality rates have stayed steady, some industries saw an uptick. The administrative, support, and remediation services had 12 worker fatalities, up from seven deaths in 2021. Meanwhile, educational and health services had doubled the number of deaths in 2022, with six recorded fatalities.
The industries in Minnesota with the most fatalities are agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting, with 20 recorded worker deaths in 2022, nine more than the year before. Construction was the second deadliest with 13 work-related deaths.
Self-employed workers accounted for 26 fatalities, compared to 15 in 2021, according to the report.
Among the various causes of fatal injuries, transportation was the leading cause, accounting for 27 fatalities, while falls, slips, and trips made up 18 fatalities. Additionally, 16 fatalities were attributed to contact with objects and equipment, according to the press release.
While men's share of workplace fatalities remained high at 82% in 2022, the number of women fatally injured doubled with 14 recorded cases.
Minnesota’s fatal injury rate, at 2.8 cases per 100,000 full-time-equivalent workers (FTE), was lower than the national average of 3.7 fatalities per 100,000 FTE, but the state's workplace injury and illness rate in 2022 was higher than the national average.