Every job carries some chance of injury. But some Connecticut workers face more physically demanding and risky conditions than others. This is reflected in U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ figures for workplace injuries from 2021.
U.S. workers killed on the job in 2021
According to BLS, 2.6 million private-sector employees suffered job-related injuries and illnesses in 2021, and 5,190 were killed. The construction industry alone accounted for 19 percent of job-related fatalities, or 986 workers killed on the job. Sadly, workers in transportation and warehousing were not far behind, with 976 deaths (18.8 percent of the national total). BLS grouped “administrative and support and waste management services” into one category and counted 468 fatalities from work-related accidents and illnesses, the third-highest total. Manufacturing accounted for 383 deaths.
Four industries with the most work injuries
Every workplace fatality is a tragedy. Far more common, but still a huge problem, are injuries and illnesses the victim survives. Often, their injuries force them to stop working for weeks, months or even years as they recover. Of the 2.6 million reported workplace injuries and illnesses from 2021, the most affected sectors were:
- Health care and social assistance (453,200 injuries, 169,800 illnesses)
- Retail (352,800 injuries, 51,800 illnesses)
- Manufacturing (334,500 injuries, 50,600 illnesses)
- Transportation and warehousing (235,200 injuries, 17,900 illnesses)
The COVID-19 pandemic was still in full swing in 2021. BLS included work-related COVID cases in its statistics but did not distinguish them from other work-related illnesses. Industries like health care, retail and manufacturing, which required workers to do their jobs in person, tended to put employees the most at risk of catching COVID. As the pandemic has faded since ’21, those numbers should decrease.
Considering a workers’ comp claim?
But on-the-job injuries remain unfortunately common. An accident at a manufacturing plant or construction site can cause severe disability and require the victim to research options for making up for the lost income. Workers’ compensation can help pay your bills after a work injury and make it possible to get the health care you need to restore your independence, quality of life and ability to support yourself.
But if your employer denies your workers’ comp claim or makes a lowball settlement offer, you might need to appeal. A workers’ compensation attorney can answer your questions about the appeals process.