Some 376 California workers died on the job in 2017, the same as in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (DIR).

California’s workplace fatality rate remains stable with slight fluctuations over the past eight years. On the national level, the rate of fatalities decreased from 3.6 to 3.5 per 100,000 workers.

There were 376 fatal injuries on the job in California in 2017 and 2016, compared to 388 in 2015, 344 in 2014, and 396 in 2013.

The data comes from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), which is conducted annually in conjunction with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Figures for 2017 are the latest numbers available.

Key findings from the latest census in California include:

  • More than one in five (22 percent) of all California workplace deaths identified in 2017 were attributed to trips, slips and falls; with 88% of those deaths involving falls to a lower level.
  • Assaults and violent acts in the workplace accounted for one of every five (20 percent) of all workplace deaths in the state in 2017.
  • Nearly two of every five (37 percent) California workplace deaths identified in 2017 occurred in transportation-related incidents.
  • The percentage of Latino deaths in the workplace continues to be an area the department is monitoring. DIR remains committed to its workplace safety outreach and education efforts with a focus on high-hazard work, especially for monolingual Spanish-speaking workers.

Tables reflecting final data for 2017 (and prior years’ final data) for California are posted online, as well as a report reflecting five years’ of fatal occupational injuries in California. For further detail on CFOI methods and calculations see Part III: Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.

DIR conducts the California Census annually in conjunction with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. CFOI produces comprehensive, accurate and timely counts of fatal work injuries. This Federal-State cooperative program was implemented in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 1992.

DIR protects and improves the health, safety and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws. Its Division of Occupational Safety and Health, commonly known as Cal/OSHA, helps protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job in almost every workplace in California. Cal/OSHA does not have authority when injuries occur on public roadways where other state or federal agencies have jurisdiction, such as the California Highway Patrol.

Cal/OSHA’s Consultation Services Branch provides free and voluntary assistance to employers to improve their safety and health programs. Employers should call (800) 963-9424 for assistance from Cal/OSHA Consultation Services. Cal/OSHA has also published a wealth of helpful guides for employers and workers.

Employees with work-related questions or complaints may contact DIR’s Call Center in English or Spanish at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734). Complaints can also be filed confidentially with Cal/OSHA district offices.