A report from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the rate of fatal work injuries remained unchanged in 2018, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
OSHA released the 2018 numbers on Dec. 18, as 2019 winds down. The document is called the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Report.
Unintentional drug overdoses at work increased by 12 percent — the sixth straight annual increase and a reflection of the broader opioid crisis facing the United States, OSHA said.
Workplace suicides increased by 11 percent in 2018.
The report also showed a 14 percent decline in work-related falls from heights, which OSHA said was the lowest total since 2013. The agency said enforcement efforts helped stop more than 7,000 fall-related hazards in the construction industry.