Compiled for the Electrical Safety Foundation International using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CFOI, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 170 Forms, 2011 -2023. Please email any questions to [email protected].
Contact with electricity is one of the leading causes of fatalities in the workplace. Each year, ESFI provides statistical data on occupational electrical injuries and fatalities to help decision makers better allocate safety resources to workers. The most recent data covers 2011-2023 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It was compiled in January of 2025.
On this poster, you’ll find a synopsis of our most recent findings. All of our materials are free to use and free to share. For more details, scroll down to the other sections on the page.
The Electrical Safety Foundation has compiled occupational electrical injury and fatality data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period 2011 through 2023. A total of 70,692 occupational fatalities occurred from all causes. 1,940 of these were due to contact with electricity.
98.9% of the electrical fatalities in this period were men. The percentage of fatalities that involved self-employed workers was similar in both the overall and electrically related workplace fatality data (20% and 21%, respectively). 64% of overall workplace fatalities involved white workers, 19% involved Hispanic or Latino workers, and 11% involved Black workers. For electrically related fatalities, these figures were 63%, 28%, and 6%.
The construction industry had the highest number of electrical fatalities (855), followed by professional and business services (212), trade, transportation, and utilities (155), natural resources and mining (138), and manufacturing (120). Just five occupations in the construction trades – electricians, construction laborers, roofers, painters, and carpenters – experienced 30% of all electrical fatalities.
Among the workers who were fatally injured by electricity, 33% died at a private residence, 28% on industrial premises, and 11% on a street or highway. 96% were employed in private industry.
The Electrical Safety Foundation has compiled the occupational electrical injury experience of the major industries and occupations from data available through the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period 2003 through 2010.
A total of 42,882 occupational fatalities occurred from all causes and 1,738 of those were due to contact with electric current. The construction industry had the highest number of electrical fatalities (849), followed by professional and business services (208), trade, transportation, and utilities (182), natural resources and mining (154), and manufacturing (137). Just five occupations in the construction trades – electricians, construction laborers, roofers, painters, and carpenters – experienced more than 32% of all electrical fatalities, electrical power line installers and repairers about 8%, and tree trimmers about 5%.
All of the 163 electrical fatalities during 2010 were men; the self-employed were about 22% of all occupational deaths but only 19% of electrical deaths; nearly 68% were white, less than 6% were black, 24% were Hispanic; 98% died of electrocution; 63% were constructing, repairing or cleaning something at the time of death; 34% died on industrial premises, 28% at a private residence, and nearly 12% on a street or highway, and; 96% were employed in private industry.
In order to fairly compare industries and occupations with different numbers of employees (hence different total exposures to electrical hazards) rates of fatal and nonfatal electrical injury were computed. It was shown that electrical fatalities were approximately 4% of all occupational fatalities each year between 2003 and 2010. “Contact with overhead power lines” was the leading fatal injury Event for the period, but was a minor source of nonfatal electrical injury. “Contact with wiring, transformers, or other electrical components”, “Contact with electric current of machines, tools, appliances or light fixtures”, and “Contact with electric current, unspecified” were the next largest fatal Event categories, respectively.
Workers in four industries, utilities, mining, construction, and agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting experienced electrical fatality rates in excess of the rate Private Industry rate every year between 2003 in 2010. Utility and construction workers also experienced nonfatal electrical injury rates in excess of the Private Industry rate each year between 2003 and 2010.
Learn more in our resource: Electrical Safety Then and Now – Twenty Years of Electrical Injury Data Shows Substantial Electrical Safety Improvement, which discusses some of the more interesting patterns observed in occupational electrical injury and fatality statistics for 1992-2010.
ESFI’s occupational electrical injury and fatality information has been compiled from data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Each year the BLS performs its Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). This is an actual count, or census, of fatal injuries. Each case is verified by two or more independent sources of information. Such sources can include death certificates, police reports, news reports, OSHA reports, etc. Similarly, to estimate the number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses, the BLS performs its Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. Nonfatal injuries, due to their sheer number, are statistically estimated based on a large annual survey of injuries reported by employers. Click here for more information on the scope of the CFOI.
OSHA 170 reports provide additional context regarding the incidents including occupation, cause, and a narrative of what led to the electrical incident. OSHA 170 forms are made available to the public once the report has been completed and personal information is removed from the report. This may result in slightly different totals between the two data sources.
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Electrical fatalities continue to stay consistent year over year
While there was a slight increase from 2022 to 2023, the number of electrical fatalities per year has been trending slightly downward since 2011
Electrical Fatalities account for 5.6% of all workplace fatalities
Non-electrical occupations account for 74% of workplace electrical fatalities
Leading Fatality Causes:
Working on or near live wires: 51%
Overhead power line contact: 48%
Average Electrical Fatality Rate per 100,000 Workers by Select Occupation,
|
|
| Occupation | Avg. Fatality Rate |
| Electrical power line installers and repairers | 6.56 |
| Electricians | 2.75 |
| Roofers | 2.66 |
| Grounds maintenance workers | 1.24 |
| Heating, air cond. and refrig. mechanics | 0.97 |
| Construction laborers | 0.55 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance | 0.41 |
| All occupations | 0.10 |
Average Electrical Fatality Rate per 100,000 Workers by Select Industry,
|
|
| Industry | Avg. Fatality Rate |
| Construction | 0.68 |
| Natural resources and mining | 0.32 |
| Professional and business services | 0.11 |
| All occupations | 0.10 |
| Manufacturing | 0.06 |
| Trade, transportation, and utility | 0.04 |
Average Electrical Fatality Rate per 100,000 Workers by Select Race or Ethnicity,
|
|
| Race or Ethnicity | Avg. Fatality Rates |
| White non-Hispanic | 0.10 |
| Black or African American, non-Hispanic | 0.06 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.17 |
Electrical occupation fatalities accounted for 26% of all workplace electrical fatalities reported on OSHA 170 form between 2011 and 2023
10 occupations accounted for over 58% of workplace electrical fatalities
Non-electrical occupation fatalities accounted for 74% of all workplace electrical fatalities reported on OSHA 170 form between 2011 and 2023
Overhead power line contact is the leading cause of workplace electrical fatalities. Overhead power line contact accounts for 48.2% of all electrical fatalities, 26% of electrical occupation fatalities, and 57% of non-electrical occupations. Overhead power line contacts are unique because in many cases the fatality occurred when the power line was clearly visible.
Unexpected contact with energy is the second leading cause of electrical fatalities in the workplace accounting for 19.3% of all electrical fatalities, 27.9% of electrical occupation fatalities, and 15.9% of non-electrical occupation fatalities. This cause of electrical fatalities is broad, and the source of shock or energized equipment contact may be varied. In some cases, the narrative provided in the OSHA 170 form may not provide context related to what the source of contact was.
Nearby energized equipment contact accounted for 12.7% of all electrical fatalities, 17.1% of electrical occupation fatalities, and 15.9% of non-electrical occupation fatalities. In all of these fatalities, the worker died due to contact with energized equipment that is not the original equipment being worked on. The energized contact could have been caused by a body part or tool coming into contact with external equipment near where the worker was working.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a biennial report of non-fatal electrical injuries that involved days away from work. The 2021 – 2022 report is the latest data set as of 2025.
There were 3,260 non-fatal electrical injuries involving days away from work in 2021 and 2022 (combined). This was a 21% decrease from the previous two years.
0.11% of all nonfatal injuries resulting in days away from work could be attributed to electricity in 2021 and 2022.
Median days away from work: 5
Download Workplace Electrical Injury and Fatality Statistics, 2003-2020, which includes the following tables and figures:
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Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)
1300 17th Street North, Suite 900, Arlington, Virginia 22209
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