112 Wisconsin workers died on the job in 2023, report says

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A total of 112 workers in Wisconsin died on the job in 2023, a new report on workplace fatalities and injuries showed.

That year, a total of 5,283 workers were killed on the job in the United States, according to a report from the AFL-CIO using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That year, 385 workers died each day from hazardous conditions and an estimated 135,304 workers died from occupational diseases.

In Wisconsin, 15 workplace deaths were from assaults and violent acts, 37 from transportation incidents, 17 from falls, 19 from exposure to harmful substances or environments and 23 were from contact with objects or equipment.

“Every worker in Wisconsin has the right to a safe job,” said Stephanie Bloomingdale, the Wisconsin AFL-CIO president, in a statement. “We need collective bargaining rights and strong unions for all to best ensure that safety concerns are adequately and timely addressed in the workplace,” she added.

In 2023, there were 1,075 fatalities in the construction sector, the highest out of all occupations that year, a BLS report showed. This was also the highest for the sector going back to 2011.

That year, slips, trips and falls made up 39.2% of construction fatalities and transportation incidents made up another 22.3% of deaths, BLS reported.

In 2022, there were 125 worker fatalities in Wisconsin, the AFL-CIO reported. The number in 2023 was higher than in 2021 (105) and 2020 (108). In 2018, 114 people died on the job in the state.

Nationwide, roughly 659 Black workers died on the job in 2023, the second-highest number in more than two decades, the AFL-CIO report showed. That year, 1,250 Latino workers died on the job, making Latino workers the group at the greatest risk of workplace fatalities among all demographics. At least 55 workers died from heat on the job, up 28% from 2022, the report showed.

Last week was the 10th annual Construction Workers’ Memorial Day, which honored 16 Wisconsin construction workers who lost their lives in the past year.

For Workers Memorial Day, observances were held in Madison, Milwaukee, Eau Claire, La Crosse and Wausau.