Toolbox talk

What actually kills us

U.S. construction worker deaths in a single year, 2024.

OSHA Focus FourFalls, struck-by, caught-in, electrocution. The hazards we drill on hardest.

~600

SuicideOne of the highest suicide rates of any industry.

5,000

OverdoseThe highest overdose death rate of any industry.

11,300

Each bar = U.S. construction worker deaths in 2024. Focus Four is about 60% of the 1,032 on-the-job construction deaths BLS counted.

We've gotten good at protecting each other from the physical hazards. We can get just as good at this. Suicide and overdose take far more of us, and we don't talk about them nearly enough. Silence is a safety hazard.

Good news: construction overdose deaths fell from 15,900 in 2023 to 11,300 in 2024. Naloxone on more jobs and crews talking are part of why.

Created by Brett Lovins. brettlovins.com | 360.591.3104 · © 2026 Sober Curious Consulting LLC. Free to print and share.
Sources: CPWR and NABTU, February 2026; BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (2024).

More free tools

Surgery Game PlanA pre-surgery checklist for when opioid pain meds are likely.Washington Apprentice Training Requirement, ExplainedWashington's apprentice training requirement, in plain language.Overdose Response Quick GuideRecognize and respond to an overdose. Know it before you need it.The Gas Station ShelfThe legal highs sold at the gas station, and what supervisors should know.

Want this for your whole team? Book a call