According to the Florida Chamber Safety Council's Florida Workplace Safety Report released in 2020,
Safety
In Florida, the construction, retail trade, and accommodation and food service industries employ more workers than the national average. The workplace fatality data from the past eight years reveals that the most workplace deaths in Florida have come from the construction industry. Time series data by industry shows that construction fatalities have been the most dangerous industry in the state for all the years examined. There was a notable spike in construction deaths from 2017 to 2018. Construction work is more concentrated in Florida than in the nation likely due to the state’s rapid growth in both residents and overall economic activity. Administrative and waste services and transportation & warehousing were the next most dangerous industries, in terms of total fatalities.
Health
In Florida, 61 private sector workers experienced a fatal unintentional overdose at work from 2011 to 2018. The prevalence of unintentional overdoses at work has grown significantly over the period analyzed in Florida. This unfortunate trend is one that is happening across many states as the nation struggles with an opioid epidemic. Drugs overdose deaths on the job in the United States increased by 25 percent each year from 2012 to 2017 (USA Today 2020).
Sustainability
Air quality can be calculated by measuring particulate matter (PM). Higher levels of particles in the air are directly linked to harmful health problems. The smaller the particle, the more harmful they can become by going deep into the lungs and bloodstream. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is classified as an air pollutant and is the main cause of reduced visibility in parts of the United States. Florida has less exposure to PM2.5 compared to the national average, ranking 25th lowest in the nation.
