Texas Workplace Injuries Drop Despite Industry Challenges

Texas Mutual reports mixed safety trends in 2024 as severe construction injuries decline while hospitality sector faces mounting challenges.
By: | February 3, 2025

Texas workplaces saw a 13% decrease in severe injuries in 2024, but burn hazards remained a source of injuries and the hospitality industry reported an increase in claims, according to Texas Mutual Insurance Co.’s 2024 workplace injury analysis.

Several key industries demonstrated progress in reducing workplace incidents.  The business services sector experienced saw a 45% decrease in severe workplace injuries, followed by transportation, down 29%, and mining, down 24%.

Industries with Increased Incidents

Despite the overall positive trend, some industries faced challenges in maintaining workplace safety. The hospitality industry experienced the most significant setback, with a 41% rise in serious reported claims.

Over 40% of hospitality claims involved workers that had one to six years experience on the job, Texas Mutual reports. A new trend has emerged in the form of motor vehicle accidents within the hospitality sector. While no such incidents were reported in the previous year, multiple cases occurred in 2024, all taking place after dark, the report found.

Heavy manufacturing also saw an increase in serious reported claims, up 14% over 2023, according to the report.

Construction Industry Safety Analysis

The construction industry has made significant strides in workplace safety over the past year, according to the insurer’s report. Overall, there was a 20% reduction in serious injury claims, indicating a positive trend in safety practices across the sector, Texas Mutual found.

Three construction industries had the largest decrease in serious injuries: The power and communication line construction sector achieved a 71% decrease in claims, electrical contractors saw a 46% reduction in claims and specialty trade contractors saw a 36% decrease.

Certain segments of the construction industry, however, continued to face challenges in 2024. Framing contractors, in particular, have emerged as a significant area of concern. This sector reported a 200% increase in serious injury claims, bucking the trend of improved construction safety. Further analysis reveals that over 55% of the claims filed by framing contractors were related to falls from heights.

Burns and Fire Hazards

Despite overall decreases in workplace injury claims across various industries, burns and scalds from heat or cold sources remain a persistent threat, according to Texas Mutual. This lack of improvement is more prevalent among new employees, with a 67% increase in fire-related injuries for workers with less than one year of experience.

The impact of these burn and fire hazards extends beyond a single industry, affecting multiple sectors including construction and heavy manufacturing.

Read more on Texas Mutual’s website. &

The R&I Editorial Team can be reached at [email protected].

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