Construction worker fatalities have dropped to an all-time low, falling by more than a third in the year to the end of March 2017.
In data released by the HSE there were 30 fatalities from workplace injuries in construction during 2016/17, the lowest on record since the figures were first compiled in 1974.
The number of deaths in the sector has fluctuated over the past five years, with 47 fatalities in 2015/16 compared with 35 in 2014/15. The annual average for the past five years is 39.
Of the 30 construction worker deaths counted in the year from April 2016, 22 were employed and eight self-employed.
Twelve of the construction worker fatalities in the most recent year were due to falls from height.
Four members of the public died from accidents related to the construction sector in 2016/17, up from two in the previous year.
Across all industries, 137 workers were fatally injured between April 2016 and March 2017, according to the provisional figures, which would be the second-lowest annual number on record.
HSE chair Martin Temple said: “Every fatality is a tragic event that should not happen.
“While we are encouraged by this improvement on the previous year, we continue unwaveringly on our mission to prevent injury, death and ill health by protecting people and reducing risks.”
The report also reveals that previous exposure to asbestos is currently killing nearly 50 people a week.
