An occupational fatality is a death that occurs while a person is at work or performing work related tasks. Occupational fatalities are also commonly called "occupational deaths" or "work-related deaths/fatalities" and can occur in any industry or occupation.

Among the most prevalent occupational risk factors, the highest attributable deaths in 2016 were long working hours (>50 hours per week) with over 745,000 deaths. In second place was occupational exposure to particulate matter, gases and fumes at over 450,000 deaths, followed by occupational injuries at over 363,000 deaths. In fourth place was occupational exposure to asbestos at over 209,000 deaths and in fifth place occupational exposure to silica at over 42,000 deaths

Common causes of occupational fatalities include falls, machine-related incidents, motor vehicle accidents, exposure to harmful substances or environment, homicides, suicides, fires, and explosions. In 2021, 3.6 of every 100,000 full-time workers experienced a fatal workplace injury. Oftentimes, occupational fatalities can be prevented.

In the United States in 2021, there were 5,190 workplace fatalities across all sectors. Of these 5,190 fatalities 42% of occupational fatalities occurred as a result of roadway incidents, 16% occurred following a slip, trip, or fall in the workplace, 9% were the result of a homicide. Logging workers have the highest fatality rate with 82.2 of every 100,000 full-time workers experiencing a fatal workplace injury, followed by fishing and hunting workers with 75.2 of every 100,000 full-time workers experiencing a fatal workplace injury.

Data on the number of occupational fatalities per 100,000 workers is available from the International Labor Organization for various countries; the ILO says for most countries the rate is less than ten per 100,000 each year. However, a 1999 paper says the ILO figures are underestimates—for example the agricultural sector, which has a higher than average fatality rate, is not reported by many countries. The paper estimates that the number of fatal occupational accidents in the world in 1994 was 335,000, or 14 per 100,000 workers. The paper also estimated there were 158,000 fatalities commuting between work and home; and 325,000 fatal occupational diseases; for a total of 818,000 fatalities.

According to statistics from the International Labour Organization occupational fatalities per 100,000 workers ranges from 0.1 to 25, with a worldwide average of 4.0 per every 100,000 workers. Panama and El Salvador have the lowest occupational fatality rates at 0.2 and 0.1 per 100,000 respectively. The country of the highest occupational fatality rate is Cuba at 25 per every 100,000 workers. Followed by Burudi and Egypt at 13.8 and 10.7 per 100,000 respectively. The World Health Organization and International Labour Organization estimate that over 1.9 million people died as a result of work-related injures and diseases in 2016.  81% of these deaths are contributed to a variety of non-communicable diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, and ischemic heart disease accounting for 1.2 million deaths.  Over the course of 16 years (2000–2016) international workplace deaths fell by 14%.  During the same period heart disease related deaths associated with long working hours increased by 41%.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics men made up 91.4 percent of all workplace fatalities and 85.5 percent of intentional injuries by a person in 2021. In European Union men made up 92.5 percent of all workplace fatalities in 2020 and 66.5 percent of all injuries that required 4 or more days of absence.

According to the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury, 2000-2016: Global Monitoring Report, the majority of work-related deaths were due to respiratory and cardiovascular disease. We may not realize it but there are many workplaces in the world that are full of harmful products for people to inhale them. When this occurs, it leads to various diseases and illnesses that are fatal to humans.