Work-Related Fatal Injuries Show Persistent Challenges Across High-Risk Industries

The latest workplace fatality statistics from the Health and Safety Executive reveal that 124 workers were killed in work-related accidents during 2024/25, highlighting the ongoing safety challenges facing British industry, particularly within construction and agriculture.

The 124 workplace deaths in 2024/25 represent a decrease of 14 fatalities from the previous year's 138 deaths. However, these figures remain broadly in line with pre-pandemic levels, suggesting that progress in reducing workplace fatalities has plateaued over recent years. When considering longer-term trends, the statistics show that whilst significant improvements were made over previous decades, the rate of fatal injury to workers has been broadly flat over the last decade, excluding years affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Industry and Accident Patterns

Construction and agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors continue to account for the greatest number of worker deaths, together representing just under half of all fatal injuries in 2024/25. Construction alone accounted for 35 deaths (28% of the total), whilst agriculture, forestry and fishing recorded 23 fatalities.

When examining fatal injury rates per 100,000 workers, agriculture, forestry and fishing emerges as by far the most dangerous sector, with a rate 22 times higher than the average across all industries. The waste and recycling sector also shows an elevated rate at 8 times the average, whilst construction, despite its high absolute numbers, has a rate around 5 times the average.

Falls from height continue to be the most common cause of fatal workplace accidents, accounting for 35 deaths in 2024/25, representing over a quarter of all worker fatalities. This accident type has been the leading cause of work-related fatal injury in almost every year since at least 2001/02. Other significant causes include being struck by moving objects (18 deaths) and being trapped by something collapsing or overturning (17 deaths). These three accident types alone accounted for around 60% of all fatal injuries during the five-year period 2020/21 to 2024/25.

Workforce Demographics and Risk Factors

Male workers continue to account for the vast majority of workplace fatalities, with 95% of those killed in 2024/25 being men. This reflects the continued gender imbalance in higher-risk occupations. Age demographics reveal another concerning trend, with around 40% of fatal injuries in 2024/25 occurring among workers aged 60 and over, despite this group representing only 12% of the workforce. The fatal injury rate for workers aged 65 and over is four times higher than the average across all age groups.

Self-employed workers continue to be disproportionately affected by workplace fatalities, accounting for around 40% of deaths in 2024/25 despite making up only 15% of the workforce. The fatal injury rate for self-employed workers over the five-year period 2020/21 to 2024/25 was around three times that of employees. This elevated risk is particularly evident in agriculture, forestry and fishing, and administrative and support service activities, where self-employed workers face rates around 2 to 3 times higher than employees in the same sectors.

England consistently shows lower injury rates than Scotland or Wales, though this largely reflects the different industrial compositions across the three nations, with England having a greater proportion of workers in lower-risk occupations.

Beyond worker fatalities, 92 members of the public were killed in work-related accidents during 2024/25, an increase of 6 from the previous year. These incidents occurred across various sectors, including 27 railway-related deaths and 29 in health and social work activities.

Historical Context and Future Challenges

Whilst the current figure of 124 deaths represents a significant improvement from historical levels (223 deaths twenty years ago in 2004/05, and 495 in 1981), the rate of improvement has clearly slowed. The fatal injury rate of 0.37 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2024/25 reflects the broader plateau in safety improvements over recent years.

For those working in health and safety across British industry, these statistics highlight several persistent challenges. The continued dominance of construction and agriculture in fatality statistics, the ongoing prevalence of falls from height, and the disproportionate risks faced by older and self-employed workers all point to areas requiring sustained attention.

The plateauing of improvement rates suggests that further progress will require renewed focus on these high-risk sectors and demographic groups, along with continued emphasis on addressing the fundamental causes of workplace accidents that have remained stubbornly persistent over recent years.