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Las Vegas is known for its bright lights, bustling casinos, and vibrant entertainment, but behind the glitz lies a workforce exposed to serious risks. While many jobs in the city are exciting and rewarding, some are extremely dangerous.
In this article, we’ll explore the deadliest jobs in Nevada, revealing which occupations carry the greatest risk of fatal injuries. Understanding these risks not only sheds light on workplace safety but also highlights the industries and roles where extra caution and protections are crucial.
Whether you work in construction, transportation, or hospitality, knowing which jobs have the highest fatality rates can inform decisions and help drive awareness for safer working conditions.
Based on the most recent fatality data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 57 workers died on the job in Nevada in 2023.
The following 4 occupations were the most deadly:
This includes commercial pilots and driver/sales workers like truck drivers.
This includes construction trade workers and laborers.
This includes vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers.
Examples of production occupations include: Assemblers and Fabricators, Food Processing Workers, Metal and Plastic Workers, Chemical Processing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, Woodworkers, Plant and System Operators, Inspectors/Testers.
Transportation incidents were the most frequent type of fatal event in Nevada, accounting for 30% of all fatal work injuries in the state. Nationally, the share was 37%.
These incidents included five aircraft crashes and seven roadway fatalities.
Falls, slips, and trips made up 19% of Nevada’s workplace fatalities, compared to 17% nationally.
Nine of these incidents involved falls to a lower level.
While many industries involve exposure to hazardous chemicals, seven of these deaths were due to drug or alcohol overdoses.
These fatal contact incidents included five cases where workers were struck by falling objects.
While the data above was pulled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics covering all of Nevada, the following table shows OSHA’s reported workplace deaths in Las Vegas from an eight year period.
| Date | Incident | OSHA Citation Issued? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05/04/2024 | Andres Garcia (55) died in fall from scaffold. | Yes | |
| 09/23/2023 | Tizoc Antonio (37) fatally struck by saw. | Yes | |
| 09/11/2023 | Julio Romero (43) electrocuted while moving light pole. | Yes | |
| 05/10/2023 | John Costa (37) fatally injured in fall through drywall ceiling. | Yes | |
| 04/06/2023 | Ricardo Malagon Garcia (20) fatally crushed underneath trailer. | No | |
| 03/13/2023 | Lasaro Alexander Perez-Perez (16) drowned in pool. | Yes | |
| 12/23/2022 | David Ratajczyk (77) died in fall from top of mixer truck. | Yes | |
| 10/17/2022 | Robert Kennedy (54) fatally crushed by overturned forklift. | Yes | |
| 09/01/2022 | Jared Saunders (45) electrocuted while stripping wiring. | Yes | |
| 08/16/2022 | Yousef Amjad (64) died in fall from ladder. | No | |
| 12/10/2021 | Francisco Villalba (35) died after becoming caught between scissor lift and ceiling truss. | Yes | |
| 11/10/2021 | Quirino Reynaga (74) fatally crushed between two motor vehicles. | Yes | |
| 06/16/2021 | Worker fatally struck by tractor. | No | |
| 06/11/2021 | Worker electrocuted while installing light fixtures. | Yes | |
| 06/01/2020 | Worker died in fall through roof hole. | No | |
| 11/04/2019 | Worker died in fall through skylight. | Yes | |
| 08/09/2019 | Worker died in fall through hole in floor. | Yes | |
| 01/08/2019 | Worker repairing roof lighting died in fall through hatch. | Yes | |
| 12/12/2018 | Worker died in fall while cleaning windows. | Yes | |
| 08/09/2018 | Worker fatally crushed by material elevator. | Yes | |
| 03/26/2018 | Worker fatally crushed by forklift boom. | Yes | |
| 11/17/2017 | Worker was fataly injured in fall from fork- lift basket. | Yes | |
| 09/25/2017 | Worked died from falling through uprotected hole. | Yes | |
| 04/12/2017 | Worker died in fall from roof. | Yes | |
| 02/12/2017 | Worker died in vehicle explosion. | No |
Below are several examples of workplace fatalities in Las Vegas reported over the past decade, highlighting the various circumstances in which employee deaths can occur in Nevada.
A construction worker named Tizoc Antonio, 37, of Las Vegas, died from a severe neck laceration at a temporary Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix grandstand construction site near the Bellagio resort fountains. The construction worker was using an electric circular saw when it bounced off a piece of metal and fatally struck him.
The incident was considered accidental by the Clark County coroner’s office, and the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched an investigation into the fatality.
A deadly workplace violence incident unfolded in the employee parking garage of Wynn Las Vegas when a security guard was fatally shot by a co-worker.
The shooter, who had been absent from work, gained access using his employee badge, confronted the guard, and carried out a murder-suicide. Both employees died at the scene.
The incident raised concerns about employee safety protocols and access controls in secure staff areas.
In a tragic incident at the Silver Nugget Casino in North Las Vegas, a 64-year-old slot machine technician, Edgardo Lavado Velasquez, was brutally beaten to death by fellow employee Jeremias Cruz, a security guard.
The attack occurred in an employee-only area of the casino. Cruz, reportedly in the midst of a mental health crisis, was later shot and killed by responding police. A third employee sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The motive for the attack was never publicly confirmed.
In October 2015, an employee at the Rejuvenice cryotherapy center in Las Vegas died during a session due to a lack of oxygen. She was operating the machine alone after hours.
The Nedad Division of Industrial Relations opened an investigation and found that the company lacked proof of workers’ compensation insurance, which is legally required. Additionally, the state discovered the center was operating without a required cosmetology license for some of the services it provided. The center has since shut down.
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If you lost a loved one in a workplace accident, our compassionate and experienced work injury attorneys can help. Reach out today.