Fatal injuries from ladders down in 2020; nonfatal ladder injuries were essentially unchanged

In 2020, there were 161 fatal work injuries from which ladders were the primary source. This was a 5.8-percent decline from 2019 (171 deaths). There were 105 deaths specifically from movable ladders in 2020 and 5 deaths from fixed ladders.

Nonfatal ladder injuries resulting in at least one day away from work were essentially unchanged in 2020. There were 22,710 injuries where the primary source of the injury was a ladder in 2020, compared with 22,330 in 2019. Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations had 5,790 injuries where the primary source was a ladder. Construction and extraction occupations had 5,370 ladder injuries, and service occupations had 3,160.

These data are from the Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program. To learn more about fatal injuries, see “National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2020.” We also have more charts on fatal work injuries. To learn more about nonfatal injuries and illnesses, see “Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses – 2020” and charts on nonfatal injuries and illnesses. The primary source refers to the object, substance, exposure, or bodily motion responsible for a workplace death. Explanation of primary source is in the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Manual.