NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Feb. 26, 2025
Media Contact: Therese.Schumacher@labor.idaho.gov
Idaho had 48 workplace fatalities in 2023 — a 23% increase from 2022 and the highest number of deaths in a single year in the past 10 years — according to the most recent Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) report on 2023 data.
The annual CFOI report documents fatal on-the-job injuries for workers — it does not include illnesses or preexisting conditions that caused a worker to die without an injury, such as COVID or a heart attack.
Figure 1. Fatal workplace injuries by year, Idaho 1992-2023
Source: Data compiled from BLS CFOI data by Idaho Department of Labor, Research and Analysis.
The occupational group (which is defined by the CFOI as the type of job a worker has) with the most fatal injuries was transportation and material moving at 31% of all fatalities — a 67% increase from 2022. Of the 15 fatalities for this group in 2023, 12 were classified as a transportation incident.
The occupational group with the second most fatal injuries in 2023 was construction and extraction with nine fatalities (approximately 19% of all fatalities) in which three were related to transportation incidents.
Figure 2. Fatal workplace injuries by occupation, Idaho 2023
Source: BLS CFOI data TABLE A-5. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and event or exposure, Idaho, 2023.
Transportation incidents accounted for 50% of all fatal injuries— a 71% increase from 2022. Contact incidents — fatalities caused by being struck by something or making contact with something — were the second most common cause of death at approximately 21%, which is a 100% increase from last year. The falls, slips, trips category is down 33% from 2022 with six incidents accounting for approximately 13% of fatalities.
Figure 3. Fatal workplace injuries by event or exposure, Idaho 2023
Source: BLS CFOI data TABLE A-9. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure for all fatal injuries and major private industry sector, Idaho, 2023.
The industry (which is defined by the CFOI as the type of business where a worker is employed) with the most fatal injuries was the trade, transportation, and utilities industry with 21% of all fatalities. Three of the 10 fatalities for this industry were caused by a roadway collision with other vehicles.
The construction industry accounted for six fatal injuries, or approximately 13% of fatalities — three of which were attributed to falls, slips or trips. The professional and business services industry had four fatalities, while the manufacturing industry and other services industry both had three fatalities each.
Figure 4. Fatal workplace injuries by industry, Idaho 2023
Source: BLS CFOI data TABLE A-1 and Chart 7. Fatal occupational injuries by industry and event or exposure, Idaho, 2023.
Workplace fatalities in 2023 were dispersed across age ranges as depicted in the table below. However, the 35-44 age range had the most deaths with 10.
Following the trend of the top occupational group, industry and most frequent type of fatal event involving transportation, the leading cause of death was transportation incidents in almost every age group.
Table 1. Age range and fatal workplace injuries
Source: BLS CFOI Data TABLE A-7 Worker characteristics by event or exposure, Idaho 2023.
Consistent with previous years, the majority of workplace deaths occurred among white workers (71%). Data on the sex of Idaho workers who died from fatal workplace injuries is not publishable this year to protect the integrity and the privacy of the people who have lost their lives in on-the-job accidents. While data on sex alone is not enough to identify an individual person, when combined with the rest of the information in the report, it could lead to an individual being identified.
For more information on fatal workplace injuries in Idaho, please consult the department’s full 2023 CFOI report.
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This release is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (50%) and state/nonfederal funds (50%) totaling $32,400.