Rates of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses
Texas private industry employers total recordable nonfatal cases reported in 2021.
Cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers in Texas, slightly below the national rate of 2.7.
Most increases in incidence rates happened as specific industries returned to their pre-pandemic levels, including transportation and warehousing, retail trade, accommodations and food services, and utilities.
Fatal Occupational Injuries
Fatal occupational injuries in Texas in 2021.
Incidents of fatality per 100,000 full-time employees in Texas in 2021.
DWC notes that most of the increases from 2020 are industries returning to their pre-pandemic levels, including transportation and warehousing.
Key Findings
Private sector employees represented 93% of total fatalities, with 498 incidents in 2021 — an increase of 67 from 2020 (431). The other 35 incidents involved public/governmental sector employees—a slight decrease from 2020 (38) and the same as 2019 (35).
The transportation and warehousing industry (public and private sector) had the highest number of fatalities, with 182 incidents. Fatalities in just the private sector of the transportation and warehousing industry increased to 138, representing 26% of all fatalities in Texas, up from both 2020 (96) and 2019 (137).
The construction industry represented 24% of all fatalities in Texas with 127 incidents.
The occupation with the highest fatalities was driver/sales workers and truck drivers, with 147 incidents representing 28% of all fatal work injuries.
The event or exposure with the highest fatalities was transportation incidents, with 260, representing 49% of all incidents.
