Texas was ranked the second-safest state for construction workers in an analysis covering 41 states, according to a KDAF report published October 16, 2026. The analysis, credited to Breakstone, White & Gluck, put Texas at 12.39 construction injuries per 1,000 workers—46% below the national average cited in that report.
That result indicates a comparatively low reported nonfatal injury rate, but it is not an official federal designation and does not mean construction work in Texas is free of serious hazards. The ranking covers only 41 states, and its original methodology and complete state table were not available in the accessible report summary.
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What the Texas ranking means
KDAF’s report states: “Texas recorded 12.39 construction injuries per 1,000 workers, placing it as the second safest state for construction workers among 41 states evaluated in a new analysis by Breakstone, White & Gluck.” The figure and ranking should therefore be attributed to that analysis, rather than described as a federal safety classification.
- Rank: second safest among 41 evaluated states
- Reported rate: 12.39 construction injuries per 1,000 workers
- Difference from the cited national average: 46% lower
- Scope: 41 states, not all 50 states
- Report date: October 16, 2026
Because seven states were outside the reported comparison, “second safest state” should not be read as a complete 50-state ranking. The available summary also does not establish the study’s source years, inclusion rules, construction sectors, or precise injury definition.
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How many construction injuries were reported in Texas?
The same analysis estimated a Texas construction workforce of 820,375 and 10,167 injuries annually. Dividing that annual count across a year produces nearly 28 injuries per day, a useful way to understand the scale reported by the study—not a statement that exactly 28 incidents occur every day.
| Measure | Reported Texas figure | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Construction injury rate | 12.39 per 1,000 workers | Nonfatal construction metric in the Breakstone, White & Gluck analysis as reported by KDAF |
| Construction workforce | 820,375 workers | Workforce estimate used in that analysis |
| Annual injuries | 10,167 | Estimated yearly injuries in the analysis |
| Approximate daily equivalent | Nearly 28 | Annual estimate expressed as a daily average |
Why official statistics show a different number
Federal injury programs use different populations, denominators and definitions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1.7 total recordable cases per 100 full-time workers for Texas private industry in 2024. A Texas Department of Insurance/BLS table lists 2.3 cases per 100 full-time workers for the United States in 2024.
Those figures are all-private-industry context rates, not the construction-only 12.39-per-1,000 measure in the reported ranking. BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses data are employer-recorded nonfatal cases. Fatal cases are tracked through the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Since the denominators and populations differ, converting 1.7 per 100 full-time workers into the study’s construction rate would create a misleading comparison.
| Source and year | Rate | Population or outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Breakstone, White & Gluck analysis, reported by KDAF (2026) | 12.39 per 1,000 workers | Construction injuries in Texas |
| U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) | 1.7 per 100 full-time workers | Total recordable cases, Texas private industry |
| Texas Department of Insurance/BLS table (2024) | 2.3 per 100 full-time workers | Total recordable cases, United States private industry |
Fatal transportation injuries remain a serious Texas hazard
A low nonfatal injury rate does not eliminate the possibility of fatal incidents. CPWR’s 2023 data, published in 2026, recorded 31 fatal transportation injuries among Texas construction workers. Among states with available data, Texas’s transportation-fatality rate was 2.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalents.
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This is a narrow fatality subset, not a replacement for the overall construction-injury ranking. It does, however, show why safety decisions should examine both everyday recordable injuries and high-consequence hazards such as vehicle crashes, struck-by events and work-zone exposure.
How to interpret the ranking before comparing Texas with another state
Check the denominator
“Per 1,000 workers,” “per 100 full-time workers” and “per 100,000 full-time equivalents” are different denominators. A rate cannot be ranked fairly until the exposure measure is matched.
Check what counts as an injury
Some datasets count employer-recorded nonfatal cases; others count fatalities or a specific cause of death. A construction-only injury rate and an all-industry recordable-case rate answer different questions.
Check the sectors included
Residential, heavy and civil engineering, specialty trades and other construction activities may be grouped differently. The accessible KDAF summary does not identify the analysis’s sector-inclusion rules.
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Check the year and coverage
Texas’s ranking is based on an analysis reported in 2026, while the official context figures above use 2024 BLS data and 2023 CPWR fatality data. A comparison should align data years where possible and identify any states omitted from the ranking.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the result means for Texas employers and crews
The ranking is encouraging evidence that Texas’s reported nonfatal construction injury rate compares favorably with the states included in the analysis. It is not a substitute for a site-specific hazard assessment or a guarantee for any employer, project or trade.
- Use the ranking as broad context, not as a safety performance target.
- Track recordable injuries, near misses and serious-potential events separately.
- Give transportation risks their own controls, including vehicle inspections, traffic separation, backing procedures and seat-belt enforcement.
- Compare internal results with the same denominator and case definition used by any external benchmark.
- Document the data year, workforce population and construction sectors before drawing conclusions from a state comparison.
Bottom line on Texas construction safety
Texas is reported as the second-safest of 41 evaluated states, with 12.39 construction injuries per 1,000 workers and a rate 46% below the cited national average. The result is a limited, attributed analysis rather than an official 50-state designation. Official 2024 all-industry figures and CPWR’s 2023 transportation-fatality data measure different risks, so the most accurate conclusion is that Texas shows a favorable reported nonfatal construction rate while significant fatal hazards remain.
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