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Construction deaths halve in two years
Phil Clark Managing editor
Image: Dreamstime.com
The number of construction workers killed on site has halved in the last two years, according to new figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
A total of 25 workers died in incidents between April 2025 and March 2026, down from 35 last year and 51 in 2023/2024. Construction continues to account for the largest proportion of fatal injuries (20%) compared to other industries.
The rate of fatal injuries in construction, which accounts for the number of deaths per 100,000 workers, is considerably lower (1.23) than the rate in agriculture, forestry and fishing (8.09), although still higher than the all-industry average (0.37).
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In all industries, a total of 126 workers were killed at work during the last reporting period in Scotland, England and Wales. The figures were 223 two decades ago (2004/05) and 495 in 1981, said the HSE.
Rate of fatal injuries by selected main industry group (per 100,000 workers), 2025/26p and annual average for 2021/22-2025/26. Source: HSE
Lowest recorded worker deaths
In its report, the HSE said that, barring the covid pandemic period, overall worker deaths for the past year were the lowest recorded in a single year. There were 217 fatalities 20 years ago (2005/06) and 495 in 1981.
The most common cause of fatal injuries across all industries continues to be falls from height (31), representing around a quarter of worker deaths in 2025/26. For the last year in construction, this type of accident accounted for nearly half of deaths (12) – other causes were being struck by a moving vehicle or moving objects.
Number of fatal injuries by selected main industry group, 2025/26p and annual average for 2021/22-2025/26. Source: HSE
The HSE data shows that, on average, 46% of construction deaths in the past five years were self-employed workers. This is 12% above the average across all industries, but below agriculture, forestry and fishing.
A further 104 members of the public were killed in work-related incidents in the last year, up from 92 for 2024/25 – three of these in construction-related accidents.
UK safe in international comparison
The HSE also released a report comparing the UK’s safety record internationally, comparing the ratio of work-related fatal injuries with more than 30 countries, largely from Europe. It found that the UK ratio was only bettered by the Netherlands.
The rate of workplace deaths was on a similar level to Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland. The report found that overall trends for fatalities were decreasing in the countries assessed.
HSE’s chief executive Sarah Albon said: “We can be proud that Great Britain remains one of the safest places in the world to work, and the new analysis we have developed this year, for the first time, allows us to compare our safety record with a wide range of other advanced economies.”
