Statistics

Accidents occur in the workplace, and safeguarding the work environment against hazards is the main goal of Cal/OSHA. Note the following statistics:

• There are approximately 855,900 forklifts in the United States.
• 11% of forklifts will be involved in an accident.
• 85 fatal forklift accidents occur each year.
• 34,900 forklift accidents result in serious injury.
• There are 61,800 non-serious forklift accidents each year.
• In 2012, 374 farmers and farm workers died from a work-related injury, resulting in a fatality rate of 20.2 deaths per 100,000 workers. Tractor overturns were the leading cause of death for these farmers and farm workers.
• The most effective way to prevent tractor overturn deaths is the use of ROPS. In 2012, 59% of tractors used on farms in the United States were equipped with ROPS. If ROPS were placed on all tractors used on farms in the United States, manufactured since the mid-1960s, the prevalence of ROPS-equipped tractors could increase to over 80%.
• On average, 113 youth, less than 20 years of age, die annually from farm-related injuries (1995-2002), with most of these deaths occurring to youth that are 16-19 years of age.
• Of the leading sources of fatal injuries to youth, 23% involved machinery, including tractors; 19% involved motor vehicles, including ATVs; and 16% were due to drowning.

To learn more about Industrial Equipment visit our Cal/OSHA Industrial Equipment, Lift Trucks and Tractors Online Training web page.