This List of Ways People Are Dying at Work Will Make Your Stomach Churn

We are all going to die. If we're lucky, it will be at home in our old age, surrounded by loved ones, in a completely boring and unremarkable fashion. But for some, death will be sudden, horrifying, and violent. Last week in upstate New York, a 23-year-old tree worker was killed after being pulled into a wood chipper. It was his first day on the job.

Today, roughly 13 people will die from fatal injuries sustained at work. Within eight hours, each of those deaths will be reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor, the agency charged with overseeing worker-related fatalities and injuries, and improving safety standards on jobs through legislation, like a recent initiative that tasked the coal industry with improving conditions for miners.

If 13 deaths a day sounds bad, it's actually a vast improvement on how things used to be. Since 1970, workplace fatality rates have dropped over 66 percent (during the same period, U.S. employment has nearly doubled). Just over 40 years ago, 14,000 workers were killed on the job each year, according to OSHA.

Safety standards have increased significantly since then. As a result, worker deaths trend downward almost every year—in 1992, for example, there were 6,217 deaths, compared to 4,821 in 2014. But the workplace can still be fraught with danger. That's particularly true in occupations like construction (899 deaths in 2014); transportation and warehousing (766); and agriculture, forestry, and fishing and hunting (584).

OSHA has steadily compiled a grim catalogue of death over the years. The most frequent causes of death are transportation incidents (car crashes, getting run over by a truck), followed by falls (through manholes, into trenches), exposure to harmful substances, and being struck by large objects. While those generic descriptions paint enough of a terrible picture, it's actually the specificity of the incidents on file that are truly disturbing. The anonymizing language—the repetition of "worker was killed"—becomes a sort of hypnotic mantra when you read enough of them in a row.

We combed through hundreds of worker death reports in recent years (hat tip to Jon Hendren for the idea), which you can do yourself in a searchable chart here or in raw documents here, and the results create something like a brutal, absurdist poetry of catastrophe; a flash fiction of terror. 

But of course, it's all real. These were real people with real families. 

The list below is further evidence that we must be vigilant in ensuring that worker conditions across all industries is of paramount consideration, both for government agencies and the employers in question. It's also a reminder to all of us how tenuous life can be—and just how many bizarre and terrifying ways there are to die. Cherish every moment, even the moments at a job you might hate. 

The following entries, reprinted verbatim from the OSHA files (bold emphasis is ours), consist of the date of the report (first), the date of the incident in question (second), the location, and what transpired. 

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FY 2011,10/09/10,10/01/10, "Nutri-Ject, Hudson, IA 50643", Worker with head and upper torso inside a tanker truck loaded with 6000 pounds of sludge, fell into the tanker.

FY 2010,04/10/10,04/09/10, "The Tiger and Elephant Encounter, Wilkes Barre, PA 18704", Worker was kicked by an elephant.

FY 2011,10/30/10,10/24/10," Ayalaz Agriculture Services FLC #12004, Kettleman City, CA 93239", Worker was crushed when tractor he was driving, pulling a bin dumper full of pomegranates, fell onto its side. Worker was possibly trying to make a U-turn while going too fast.

FY 2012,10/1/2011,9/20/2011, "Al and John, Inc., T/A Glen Rock Hams, Paterson, NJ 07503", Worker cleaning a meat mixer died when he fell into the machine.

FY 2012,11/26/2011,11/3/2011, "Lykes Bros., Inc., Okeechobee, FL 34974", Worker riding a horse while performing routine work at a ranch fell off and was killed when the horse stepped on his torso and face.

FY 2012,1/21/2012,12/12/2011, "Oilfield Service & Supply Company Inc., Laurel, MS 39443", Worker was removing a ladder stuck in mud and briars. The ladder flew up and hit the worker on the back, fatally injuring the worker.

FY 2012,2/18/2012,2/9/2012, "Omaha Refinishing, Council Bluffs, IA 51501", Worker who was overcome by vapors while refinishing a bathtub, died from asphyxiation.

FY 2012,2/25/2012,2/17/2012, "US Airways Group Inc., Phoenix, AZ 85034", Worker was crushed between two vertically moving conveyor belts.

FY 2012,3/17/2012,3/15/2012, "Kelley Bean Company Inc., Brush, CO 80723", Worker was engulfed after standing on a pile of beans at a bean plant.

FY 2012,3/24/2012,2/14/2012, "Richard Knight, White Swan, WA 98952", Worker was struck and killed by a large alfalfa bale.

FY 2012,3/31/2012,2/15/2012, "Mad River Glen Ski Area, Waitsfield, VT", A ski instructor at a ski resort died after becoming stuck in a wall opening.

FY 2012,4/21/2012,4/14/2012, "Knox Swan & Dog LLC, North Barrington, IL 60010", "Worker patrolling a residential community pond while inside a kayak was attacked by swans, causing him to fall in the water and drown.

FY 2012,5/19/2012,5/16/2012, "Missouri American Water, Joplin, MO 64804", Worker cutting pipe with a pipe saw died when the saw kicked back, striking the worker in the throat.

FY 2012,6/30/2012,6/22/2012, "Village of Central City - Public Works Department, Central City, IL 62801", Worker was killed when a burning tree limb fell on his head.

FY 2012,8/4/2012,7/30/2012, "Bimbo Bakery, Galt, CA 95632", Worker was crushed by a rack of baked goods.

FY 2012,8/25/2012,8/22/2012, "David Girard Vineyard, Placerville, CA 95667", Worker at a vineyard was crushed in a wine press.

FY 2010,10/30/09,10/26/09, "Val-O-Mo Farm, Inc., Elmwood, WI 54740", "Worker was operating a skid-steer cleaning out a dairy cattle barn near an outdoor manure slurry pit. The skid-steer and the worker fell off the end of the push-off platform into the manure slurry pit, trapping the worker in the vehicle. Worker died of suffocation due to inhalation of manure.

FY 2013,2/23/2013,1/14/2013, "Kaba Ilco Corporation, Forsyth, NC 27009", Worker crushed and killed when a cart carrying 2,000 pounds of zinc tipped over on top of him.

FY 2011,10/30/10,10/27/10, "Notre Dame University, Notre Dame, IN 46556", Worker was in a scissor lift filming a football practice when the lift tipped over. (High winds were reported.)

FY 2013,2/23/2013,2/13/2013, "Professional Service Industries Inc., Belle Glade, FL 33430", Employee died after being thrown from and run over by bulldozer.

FY 2011,11/13/10,11/10/10, "Lassen Forest Products, Red Bluff, CA 96080", Worker fell into a wood chipper.

FY 2011,12/18/10,12/01/10, "Bob Davis Paint & Drywall, Inc., Galveston, TX 77554", Worker was operating an aerial lift to perform painting on a 4-story condominium, when he was pinned between the building and the control station in the elevated working platform. His body pushed against the joystick that controlled the lift, causing it to push him even more against the building, which eventually caused his death.

FY 2011,11/20/10,11/15/10, "John Charles Traverso dba Traverso Tree Service, Concord, CA 94521", Worker died after being partially pulled into a wood chipper. Foot/ankle got caught in rope and pulled him in. Died from head injury when his head hit the gate on the chute. No contact with blades.

FY 2011,11/20/10,11/16/10, "Basic Energy Services,, Quitman, LA 71268", Worker was standing by at a well platform while circulation and cleaning was being performed in the well. A tube rushed up and out of the well. As everyone ran for cover, a portion of the tube struck the worker in the head and killed him.

FY 2011,11/27/10,11/20/10, "American Fireworks Mfg Co. Inc., Utica, NY 13502", Worker was struck by fireworks during a fireworks show.

FY 2011,11/27/10,11/22/10, "Wolf Creek Ski Lodge,, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147", Ski patrol employee was killed in an avalanche.

FY 2010,10/02/09,09/25/09, "Tyson Foods - River Valley Animal Foods, Scranton, AR 72863", Decedent was dumping a load of offal from a tractor trailer. He was in the process of dumping offal into a bin when the tailgate malfunctioned. Decedent was freeing the tailgate, it released, and the load swept the decedent into the offal bin. Decedent drowned in the bin.

FY 2010,10/02/09,09/28/09, "Jacoby Feed & Seed, Melvin, TX 76858", Employees were installing a tilt-wall into a trench. Decedent was inside the trench when the earth collapsed.

FY 2010,10/02/09,09/28/09, "Zachary Construction Corp., Mansfield, LA 71052", Decedent was walking across a tank and fell through a hatch into a tank of boiling water. He either drowned or died of thermal burns.

FY 2010,10/02/09,09/30/09, "Weight Farm, Bellfonte, PA 16823", Decedent was inside a silo loading the feeder from a ladder. He became wedged within the ladder cage in a fetal position and suffocated.

FY 2010,10/09/09,10/05/09, "Marine Fabrication and Repair, Houma, LA 70360", Worker was performing welding duties aboard a marine vessel. An electrode from his welding equipment contacted the sweat on his neck, causing an electric shock.

FY 2010,10/09/09,10/06/09, "Ace Flooring, Inc., Mesa, AZ 85205", The worker was crushed under a 12-foot long, 3-inch diameter carpet roll.

FY 2010,10/09/09,10/07/09, "Buckhorn, Inc., Springfield, MO 65803", Worker was cleaning the hardened plastic from the mold. He was standing in between the mold plates when the machine started and was crushed between the mold plates.

FY 2010,10/09/09,10/07/09, "Pages Creek Marine Services, Inc., Wilmington, NC 28411", The worker used a set of 2-ton underslung hoists to raise a boat on a trailer. The boat fell, crushing the worker between the boat and the left rear of the trailer.

FY 2010,10/09/09,10/07/09, "Werner Construction, Inc., Norfolk, NE 68701", Worker was washing flights on an auger of a concrete machine and was pulled into the flights of the auger.

FY 2010,10/16/09,10/12/09, "Reilly Construction Co. Inc., Ossian, IA", The worker was replacing a pivot pin on the equalizer bar under a bulldozer. The bulldozer was supported with jack stands. The worker was under the bulldozer when it fell off the jack stands and crushed him.

FY 2010,10/23/09,10/17/09, "Wong Potatoes Inc., Merrill, OR 97603", The worker was run over by a trailer while harvesting onions.

FY 2010,04/17/10,03/13/10, "Choyce Products, Honolulu, HI 96819", Worker was pulling frozen food boxes for customer orders while standing on a wooden pallet lifted up by a company forklift truck. The forklift operator lowered the forklift, with worker still on pallet, to approximately 10 feet above the concrete floor, and began backing up. Operator heard something fall and found the worker lying face down on the concrete floor.

FY 2011,01/22/11,01/10/11, "J & J Ag Products Inc., Clewiston, FL 33440", Worker was electrocuted while spraying a broccoli field when he raised the tractor's spray boom and hit an overhead power line.

FY 2011,01/01/11,12/28/10, "Bontrager Excavating, Massillon, OH 44646", While working in a 15 to 20 feet deep trench, the walls collapsed, burying two workers. One worker was rescued and hospitalized, but the other worker was buried completely and died.

FY 2010,06/19/10,06/16/10, "Stuart & Kim Sorenson Feed and Grain LLC., Zachow, WI 54182", Worker was in a grain bin breaking loose bridged grain that was not flowing and was buried in the corn.

FY 2010,07/31/10,07/28/10, "Haasbach LLC, Mt. Carroll, IL 61053", Worker was engulfed in corn.

FY 2010,10/23/09,10/20/09, "Sutherland Builders Inc., Penn Yan, NY 14527", Worker was struck/crushed by walls and roof of a building after a dump truck fell onto the building.

FY 2010,09/11/10,09/08/10, "Woodwork Manufacturing & Supply, Hutchinson, KS 67501-5373", Worker discovered a fire in a sawdust collection system and attempted to extinguish the fire by opening the dump doors on the bottom of the sawdust collector and a flash fire occurred, enveloping the worker in flames/burning sawdust.

FY 2010,09/11/10,09/07/10, "Unknown Contractor, Risingsun, OH 43467", Worker was pulled into a tree chipper machine.

FY 2010,08/28/10,08/16/10, "Platt Hill Nursery Inc., Bloomingdale, IL 60108", Worker was eating lunch and swallowed a bee.