The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released its latest annual report on workplace fatalities, and while the long-term trend remains positive, the numbers serve as a sobering reminder of the risks many workers still face.
Between April 2025 and March 2026, 126 workers in Great Britain lost their lives in work-related incidents. This represents a decrease of 2 from the previous year and keeps the fatality figures broadly in line with pre-pandemic levels. For historical perspective, the number stood at 217 in 2005/06 and 495 back in 1981 – a significant long-term improvement.
Excluding the years affected by COVID, the number of worker deaths in 2025/26 is provisionally the lowest number recorded in a single year, compared to 217 deaths in 2005/06 and 495 in 1981.
Industries most affected
Two sectors continue to stand out for their high fatality counts:
- Construction: 25 deaths (down 10 from last year)
- Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing: 22 deaths down 1 from last year
The agriculture sector still holds the highest fatality rate per 100,000 workers, followed by the waste and recycling industry. These industries often involve high-risk environments where safety procedures are crucial.
Falls from height: a persistent threat
The leading cause of workplace deaths in 2024/25 was falls from a height, which caused 31 fatalities (down 4 from the previous year) – around a quarter of the total. Despite decades of safety campaigns, this hazard remains one of the most challenging to control in sectors like construction and maintenance.
Public at risk too
It Is not just workers who are affected. An additional 104 people (up 8 from last year) who were not working – typically members of the public in workplace environments – were killed in work-related incidents over the same period.
These incidents happened across a range of sectors. They included 32 on the railways and 59 in other service sector industries. 13 deaths occurred in non-service sectors: 7 in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 3 in construction and 3 in waste and recycling.
The dangers to the self-employed
Around a third of fatal injuries to workers in 2025/26 were to the self-employed, even though they only made up around 15% of the workforce. This is likely due to their greater presence in higher-risk industries.
Mesothelioma: A lingering legacy of asbestos exposure
The HSE also released separate figures for mesothelioma, a cancer linked to past asbestos exposure. In 2024, 2,146 people died from the disease. This marks a decrease of 109 from 2023 and is well below the average of 2,508 annual deaths between 2011 and 2020. Most cases today stem from exposure before the 1980s, and thankfully, deaths are expected to continue declining in the coming years.
Alastair Gray, rradar’s Legal Director – Head of Scotland said:
“The annual figures published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) indicate that the number of fatal workplace incidents is continuing to decline. Although this is good news, more than two people still lose their lives at work each week on average.
“Despite ongoing awareness initiatives and targeted campaigns by the HSE, falls from height remain the leading cause of work-related fatalities. In addition to the devastating impact on those affected and their families, such incidents can expose organisations to significant consequences, including legal action, compensation claims and damage to their hard-earned reputation.
“A company’s health and safety performance is also becoming an increasingly important factor in procurement and contract award decisions. To minimise these risks, employers should seek appropriately qualified health and safety guidance and put in place effective policies, procedures and controls to safeguard both their workforce and their business.”
