PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Work-related injuries claimed the lives of 60 Oregonians in 2020 — equating to an average of 5 deaths per month. 

The data, released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Thursday showed workplace fatalities within the state have dropped 15% from the 69 deaths reported in 2019. 

While the statistics showed fewer Oregonians died on the job in 2020, the number of work-related deaths within the current report is still higher than what the state has seen in previous years — and the data does not account for deaths related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fatal occupational injuries within Oregon from 2011 to 2020. March 24, 2022
(Courtesy U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

For example, over the course of 5 years, the number of occupational deaths in Oregon has risen by more than 36%, as BLS reported only 44 workers passed away as a result of an injury in 2015. 

According to BLS, the work-related death toll in Oregon is on trend with national data. 

“Nationwide, a total of 4,764 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2020, an 11% decrease from 5,333 in 2019,” the report stated. “The 4,764 fatal occupational injuries in 2020 represents the lowest annual number since 2013.”

Despite the record drop in work-injury deaths across the nation, workplace fatalities reported in 2020 still account for an average of 13 deaths per day, or the equivalent of one worker dying every 111 minutes.

2020 fatal occupational injuries by event, within the US and Oregon. March 24, 2022
(Courtesy U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

When it comes to work-related deaths, the report showed men are at a higher risk. According to BLS, in Oregon men accounted for 92% of all deaths in the workplace.

The report also highlighted occupational hazards within the transportation and warehousing industries, as workers within these fields accounted for 17 of the 60 fatal workplace injuries reported in 2020.  

“In Oregon, transportation incidents resulted in 24 fatal work injuries, and both falls, slips, or trips and contact with objects or equipment accounted for 10 fatalities,” the report outlined. “These three major categories accounted for 73 percent of all fatal workplace injuries in the state.”

The data also illustrated a stark contrast between the number of workplace deaths among wage-earning workers and those who were self-employed, as wage workers accounted for 77% of all deaths on the job in 2020.

To view the full report, click here.