Arkansas work-related deaths down 14.1% in 2024

The number of known work-related deaths in Arkansas in 2024 totaled 79, down 14.1% compared with 92 in 2023, according to federal and state data. The 2024 information, released Thursday (Feb. 19) is the most recent available.

The data is from the U.S. Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing.

Arkansas’ decline in work-related deaths was more than the national average.

“Nationally, a total of 5,070 workers died from a work-related injury in the United States in 2024, a 4% decrease from the total of 5,283 deaths in 2023,” noted the ADLL press release. “A worker died every 104 minutes from a work-related injury in 2024 compared to 99 minutes in 2023.”

In Arkansas, there were 71 deaths in 2024 involving wage and salary workers, down from 72 in 2023. There were 8 self-employed worker deaths, down from 14 in 2023. There were two fatal injuries among local and state government workers in 2024, down from six in 2023. One was a local government worker, and one was a state government worker.

Of the 79 deaths in 2024, 72 were men and 7 were women, compared to 82 men and 10 women in 2023. Also, 50, or 63.3%, of the deaths were the result of transportation-related accidents. Of those, 19 were from highway collisions with another vehicle, up 16 in 2023.

Following are other findings rom the 2024 fatality report.
• There were 21 fatalities in the 55 to 64 years old age group; 19 fatalities in the 45 to 54 age group; 15 in the 35 to 44 age group; 11 fatalities that were 65 years of age or older; and 10 were in the 25 to 34 age group.

• There were 9 fatal occupational injuries in private sector construction; 10 in manufacturing; 9 in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting; 6 in retail trade; 26 in transportation and warehousing; 8 in the administrative and support and waste management and remediation services sector; 1 in real estate and rental and leasing; 1 in leisure and hospitality; 2 in other services (except public administration); 2 in health care and social assistance; 1 in state government highway, street, and bridge construction; and 1 in local government police protection.

• There were 42 deaths among transportation and material moving occupations, which included 33 motor vehicle operators and 9 material moving workers; 7 among construction trades workers; 6 among farming, fishing, and forestry occupations; 4 among building and grounds cleaning and maintenance; 3 among retail sales workers; 2 among healthcare practitioners and technical occupations; and 2 among personal care and service occupations.