Workplace Safety in the UK: Insights from HSE's Data
Work-Related Fatalities in Great Britain: An Overview
A new report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reveals the latest statistics on work-related fatalities in Great Britain.
In the year 2024/25, a total of 124 workers were killed in work-related incidents, marking a significant decrease from the previous years. This figure represents a decline from 223 in 2004/05 and 495 in 1981, demonstrating a long-term trend of improved workplace safety.
However, the report highlights that certain industries continue to have higher rates of fatal accidents. Agriculture, forestry and fishing, waste and recycling, and construction remain the industries with the highest rates of fatal accidents.
Industry-wise Breakdown
The agriculture, forestry and fishing sector had the highest fatality rate per 100,000 workers at 8.01 in 2024/25. The waste and recycling sector follows closely with a rate of 2.76 per 100,000 workers. Despite having the highest absolute number of fatalities (35), the construction sector has a lower rate per 100,000 workers (1.65) than agriculture.
Other industries with notable fatality rates include transportation and storage (0.98 per 100,000) and administrative & support services (0.87 per 100,000).
Causes of Fatalities
The most common cause of fatal injuries in 2024/25 was falls from a height, accounting for 35 deaths, or over a quarter of total workplace deaths. This underscores the persistent hazard that falls from height pose, despite ongoing safety campaigns.
Key Points
- The all-industry average fatality rate in 2024/25 was 0.37 fatalities per 100,000 workers, showing a continued downward trend from previous years.
- The farm sector continues to have the highest rate of work-related deaths.
- The transportation and storage industry had 15 deaths in work-related incidents, making it the fifth-highest among the industries with the highest deaths.
- The manufacturing industry had 15 deaths in work-related incidents, making it the fourth-highest among the industries with the highest deaths.
- A further 92 people who were not at work were killed in work-related incidents in 2024/25.
- The number of deaths remains broadly in line with pre-pandemic levels.
Mesothelioma Deaths
The HSE has also published the annual figures for mesothelioma, a cancer caused by past exposure to asbestos. In 2023, 2,218 people died from the disease, representing a fall of 62 compared with 2022. The current mesothelioma deaths reflect exposure to asbestos that often occurred before the 1980s, and annual deaths are expected to continue declining during the next decade.
No Information Provided
No information about the number of deaths in 2021 among those not at work was provided in the article. Additionally, the figures for 2021 and 2022/23 were not consistent across all sources, with some reporting different numbers for the same periods.
In summary, the report shows a significant improvement in workplace safety over the past four decades, but certain industries continue to have high rates of fatal accidents. Agriculture, forestry & fishing, waste and recycling, and construction remain the industries with the highest rates of fatal accidents, with agriculture having the highest risk per worker. Safety risks like falls from height continue to drive fatal accidents, especially in construction.
- The report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reveals that certain industries, such as agriculture, forestry & fishing, waste and recycling, and construction, have high rates of fatal accidents in work-related incidents, which could potentially indicate areas where safety measures in these sectors need improvement.
- It is noteworthy that the finance industry, although not mentioned in the report as having a high rate of work-related fatalities, could potentially benefit from studying the trends and causes of fatal accidents in high-risk industries like agriculture, forestry & fishing, waste and recycling, and construction, to implement safety practices and financial support for workplace safety improvements in their own sector.
