Workplace fatalities in Great Britain: A detailed analysis of the HSE's 2024 - 2025 statistics
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) latest data shows that 124 workers were killed in work-related accidents in Great Britain in the year 2024/25. While this marks a reduction of 14 fatalities from 2023/24, the figure remains broadly consistent with levels observed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating a return to the long-term average rather than a significant shift in safety outcomes, which suggests that overall progress in reducing workplace fatalities has plateaued.
The figures referenced within this article are based on fatalities resulting from work-related accidents in 2024/25 that were reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). The numbers include fatal injuries to both workers and members of the public. The figures will be finalised in July 2026 to take account of any necessary adjustments and so are currently provisional.
Industries with the highest number of fatalities
The construction industry recorded the highest number of deaths, with 35 fatalities. This equates to approximately 28% of all worker fatalities. While this marks a reduction compared to 2022/2 and 2023/24, the construction sector consistently records the largest number of deaths due to its high-risk nature, which includes working at height, operating heavy machinery, and exposure to site hazards.
The agriculture, forestry and fishing sector followed closely with 23 fatalities, a small decrease from 24 the previous year. This industry records high numbers of deaths and has the highest fatal injury rate over the past five years, at around 22 times the all-industry average, based on fatalities per 100,000 workers employed. This elevated rate reflects the dangerous working environments, isolated settings, and high levels of self-employment common to the sector.
Other sectors with higher figures include:
- Transportation and storage: 15 deaths
- Administrative and support services: 13 deaths
These numbers have remained relatively stable over recent years, reflecting continued risk despite health and safety controls.
Industries with the lowest number of fatalities
At the lower end of the scale:
- Wholesale, retail, motor repair; Accommodation and food: 12 deaths (and the sector overall is considered lower risk with a fatal injury rate per 100,000 workers that is around half the all-industries average)
- Manufacturing: 11 deaths
- Waste and recycling: 3 deaths (though it has a high fatal injury rate per 100,000 workers employed at 8 times the all-industries average).
Causes of fatal incidents
In terms of how fatalities occurred, the most common cause remained falls from a height, responsible for more than 25% of all fatalities. This risk is particularly prevalent in the construction sector, where over half of all deaths were due to falls from height over the five year period from 2020/21 – 2024/25.
Other key causes in 2024/25 included:
- Struck by a moving object: 18 deaths
- Trapped by something collapsing or overturning: 17 deaths
- Struck by moving vehicle: 14 deaths
- Contact with moving machinery: 13 deaths
Together, these five incident types accounted for almost 80% of all worker fatalities.
Conclusion
Although workplace fatalities in Great Britain have declined since the 1980s, the rate has plateaued over the past decade (excluding the years affected by the COVID-19 pandemic). Continued attention to high-risk industries and activities is essential for further progress.
References
Work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain - HSE
https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/fatalinjuries.pdf
https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatalquarterly.htm
Further reading
https://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/types-of-reportable-incidents.htm
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