UK Construction Fatality Statistics 2025/26

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published its most recent annual workplace fatality figures for Great Britain. Covering the 2024/25 reporting period (the latest data available as of 2026), the figures show a welcome reduction in fatal injuries within the construction sector. However, despite this improvement, construction remains one of the UK’s highest-risk industries, demanding ongoing vigilance from employers and contractors.

Key Findings

• 35 construction fatalities: There were 35 fatal injuries in the UK construction sector during the 2024/25 reporting year, a notable decrease from the 51 recorded in 2023/24.
• 1.65 deaths per 100,000 workers: In 2024/25, the fatal injury rate for construction workers stood at 1.65 per 100,000—approximately five times the all-industry average of 0.37.
• Falls from height remain the primary risk: Across all UK industries in 2024/25, falls from height caused 35 deaths. In construction specifically, falls account for over half of all fatalities, averaging 21 deaths per year over the last five years.
• Self-employed vulnerability: Over the past five years (up to 2024/25), self-employed tradespeople have accounted for 45% of all fatal injuries in the construction sector.
• 124 total UK workplace deaths: Across all industries in Great Britain, 124 workers lost their lives in 2024/25, representing a drop from 138 in the 2023/24 period.

Trend Analysis

The 2024/25 HSE data offers a cautiously optimistic outlook. The drop from 51 construction fatalities in 2023/24 to 35 in 2024/25 is a significant improvement, particularly given that the five-year average for the sector has stubbornly hovered around 40 deaths per year. This year-on-year reduction indicates that safety interventions, robust training, and awareness campaigns may be gaining traction on UK sites.

Despite the drop in overall volume, the underlying patterns of how these tragedies occur remain completely unchanged. The most common mechanisms—falls from height, being struck by a moving object, being struck by a moving vehicle, and being trapped by a collapsing structure—continue to dominate the statistics. The fact that the average number of fatal falls from height in construction remains at around 21 per year demonstrates that fundamental physical risks are still the sector's biggest hurdle.

Industry Implications

For UK contractors, employers, and health and safety professionals, the 2024/25 statistics carry a dual message of progress and persistent danger. The reduction in fatalities suggests that rigorous risk assessments, better site management, and improved safety cultures are having a tangible impact. It proves that fatal injuries are not an inevitable cost of doing business.

However, the disproportionate risk faced by the self-employed is a glaring issue that the industry must address. With self-employed workers making up 45% of construction fatalities, principal contractors and site managers must ensure that sub-contractors and independent tradespeople are fully integrated into site safety protocols. Furthermore, the unrelenting threat of working at height demands that robust fall prevention, rather than just fall mitigation, remains the absolute priority in any safe system of work.

Methodology & Sources

These statistics are derived from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report 'Workplace fatal injuries in Great Britain, 2025'. The data covers the reporting period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. It is collected through mandatory reports made by employers and site controllers under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). The HSE rigorously verifies these reports against other records, such as coroner data, to ensure a highly accurate and comprehensive overview of workplace fatalities across Great Britain.

Conclusion

The decrease to 35 construction fatalities in the 2024/25 reporting year is a testament to the hard work of safety professionals and responsible employers across the UK. However, with the construction sector still accounting for a disproportionate number of all UK workplace deaths, there is absolutely no room for complacency. By focusing on high-risk activities like working at height and extending better support to self-employed workers, the industry can strive to drive these tragic figures even lower in the years to come.