Construction Industry Safety Statistics in Great Britain: HSE Executive Summary

This article, presented by First Mats, is an executive summary of the latest Construction statistics in Great Britain. Data up to March 2025 Annual statistics Published 10th November 2025 by HSE.gov. The full version of the article can be found on the HSE website. 

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The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has published the latest Construction Industry Statistics for 2024/25, providing a detailed look at work-related ill health, injuries, fatalities and long-term trends across the sector. Because many websites and reports still rely on the 2022/23 statistics, this updated analysis compares both sets of figures and explores whether the construction sector is truly becoming safer for workers.

1. Work-Related Ill Health: Rising to 79,000 Cases

The Construction sector recorded an estimated 79,000 workers suffering from work-related ill health (new or long-standing) averaged over the period 2022/23 to 2024/25. In comparison, the previous three-year period (2020/21–2022/23) reported around 69,000 cases.

Despite the increase in numbers, the HSE notes that the rate of ill-health in Construction has remained broadly flat in recent years. The latest period is not statistically significantly different from the pre-pandemic period (2016/17–2018/19), suggesting that ill-health levels have stabilised rather than sharply worsened.

Musculoskeletal Disorders Still Make Up Over Half

• 53% of all ill-health cases (around 41,000 workers) are musculoskeletal disorders.
• The rate is statistically significantly higher than the all-industry average.
• Heavy manual handling, awkward postures and repetitive tasks remain major contributors across all areas of construction.

Stress, Depression or Anxiety

• Approximately 15,000 workers are suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety.
• This accounts for around 19% of all ill-health cases in Construction.
• The rate of stress, depression or anxiety in Construction is statistically significantly lower than the all-industry average, indicating that other sectors are more heavily impacted by mental health issues.

Work-Related Lung Problems

• About 5,000 workers are affected by work-related breathing or lung problems.
• The rate is statistically significantly higher than the average across all industries.
• Long-term concerns remain around exposure to dusts, asbestos, welding fumes and respirable crystalline silica.

“Although overall ill-health rates appear stable, the exceptionally high levels of musculoskeletal disorders and persistent lung-related cases show that some hazards remain deeply embedded in the industry. It’s a reminder that ‘stable’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘acceptable’.”

Richard, Director at First Mats

2. Fatal Injuries: Down to 35 – But Still 4.8 Times the All-Industry Rate

In 2024/25p there were 35 fatal injuries to workers in the Construction sector. This is a reduction compared with the 45 fatalities recorded in 2022/23 and is also below the five-year average of 40 deaths (2020/21–2024/25p).

There were also 4 fatalities among members of the public in 2024/25p, matching the annual average of 4 public deaths over the last five years.

Falls from Height Remain the Main Cause

• Falls from height account for around 53% of worker deaths in Construction.
• Roofing, scaffolding and maintenance tasks are particularly associated with fatal falls.
• Despite decades of guidance and regulation, this pattern has changed very little.

Long-Term Trend in Fatality Rates

Looking back several decades, the rate of fatal injury in Construction has fallen substantially. However, in more recent years, the downward trend has begun to flatten, suggesting that further improvements may become harder to achieve without new approaches to managing risk.

3. Non-Fatal Injuries: Slight Decline to 50,000 Cases

The latest three-year average (2022/23–2024/25) indicates 50,000 workers sustaining a workplace non-fatal injury. This is a modest improvement on the previous period (2020/21–2022/23), which recorded around 53,000 cases.

Around 29% of these non-fatal injuries result in more than seven days’ absence from work, highlighting the significant impact on both productivity and worker wellbeing.

Accident Kinds (Based on RIDDOR Data)

The main accident types involved in non-fatal injuries include:

• Slips, trips and falls on the same level.
• Handling, lifting and carrying incidents.
• Falls from height (non-fatal).
• Being struck by moving objects.
• Contact with moving machinery.

These categories are consistent with previous years and underline the importance of basic site housekeeping, effective planning of work at height and safe systems for manual handling.

4. Working Days Lost: 2.2 Million per Year

Across the Construction sector, an estimated 2.2 million working days are lost annually due to work-related injury and ill health:

• Approximately 82% of days lost are due to work-related ill health.
• 18% are due to workplace injuries.
• This equates to around 1.1 days lost per worker, similar to the all-industry average.

These figures highlight that while injuries receive significant attention, the largest impact on lost time comes from long-term illnesses, particularly musculoskeletal and respiratory conditions.

5. Economic Cost: £1.4 Billion Annually

The total economic cost of workplace injury and work-related ill health in the Construction sector is estimated at around £1.4 billion (2023/24 prices). This represents approximately 6% of the total cost of all work-related ill health and injury across Great Britain.

The cost estimate includes:

• Lost output and productivity.
• Healthcare and rehabilitation costs.
• The human cost of reduced quality of life and, in fatal cases, loss of life.

Is Construction Getting Safer?

Short Answer: Yes – But Slowly, and Not in Every Area

When we compare the latest 2024/25 figures with the earlier 2022/23 data, a mixed picture emerges.

Areas of Improvement

• Worker fatalities have reduced from 45 to 35.
• Non-fatal injuries have fallen from 53,000 to 50,000.
• Long-term trends show a clear decline in fatality rates over the last few decades.

Ongoing Concerns

• Work-related ill-health cases have risen from 69,000 to 79,000.
• Musculoskeletal disorders still account for more than half of all ill-health cases.
• Breathing and lung problems remain significantly more common than in many other industries.
• Falls from height continue to dominate the fatal injury statistics.

“The industry is safer than it was a decade ago, and the reduction in fatalities is encouraging. But when musculoskeletal disorders account for over half of all ill health, and lung disease rates remain elevated, it’s clear that the biggest risks aren’t always the most visible ones.”

Richard, Director at First Mats

Conclusion

The 2024/25 HSE statistics suggest that Construction is, overall, becoming gradually safer, with fewer fatalities and a slight reduction in non-fatal injuries compared with the 2022/23 figures. However, the burden of work-related ill health remains high and is increasing in absolute terms.

For many businesses, the next stage of improvement is likely to focus less on one-off accident prevention and more on managing chronic health risks: reducing manual handling strains, controlling exposure to dust and fumes, and maintaining long-term wellbeing on site.

In summary, construction sites are safer than they used to be, but there is still considerable work to do, particularly around occupational health, if the industry is to make another step change in safety performance.

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