Each day, on average, 15 U.S. workers die as a result of a traumatic injury on the job. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program is a research program designed to identify and study fatal occupational injuries. For nearly 40 years, the FACE program has worked to prevent occupational fatalities across the nation by identifying and investigating work situations at high risk for injury and then formulating and disseminating prevention strategies to protect workers. FACE investigations have been conducted in 46 States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. To date, NIOSH FACE and its state partners have completed 3,435 FACE reports.

FACE investigations can also identify contributors to health inequities (e.g., issues with different languages and safety training) for Hispanic and Immigrant workers. Hispanic, Immigrant, temporary, and contingent workers play a critical role in our nation’s workforce, but they are disproportionately impacted by injuries and illnesses while on the job.

The FACE program currently has two components: The Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation project (NIOSH FACE) and the State-based Fatality Surveillance Using FACE Model project (State FACE).

There continues to be groups of workers who are disproportionately affected by workplace violence. In 2013, NIOSH researchers contributed to a publication focused on health disparities and inequalities. [i] Number and rates of homicide deaths over a 5-year span for industry and occupation groups were presented by race/ethnicity and nativity. Further analyses published in 2014 in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine controlling for other factors reported elevated homicide rate ratios for workers who are Black, American Indian, Alaska Natives, Asian, or Pacific Islanders, and those who were born outside of the United States.[ii] NIOSH researchers continue to work towards identifying disparities where they exist so we can better focus our research and translation efforts to the workforces and communities of workers that need them. See below for examples of research conducted by NIOSH on identifying disparities in specific workforces.