The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have released the 2023/24 statistics for UK work-related fatal injuries and according to these statistics, there were 138 deaths across all UK workplaces in 2023–24 with the construction industry accounting for more than a third of the total with 51 fatalities.
The new figures, which can be found here, show that the annual number of work-related fatalities has remained broadly similar for over a decade. Additionally, as per previous years, male workers continue to account for the vast majority of fatal injuries with 95% of those recorded in the year being men.
Within the statistics published is one that truly horrified me. A staggering 34% of workers killed were aged 60 or over, despite the 60+ demographic making up only 11% of the UK workforce.
The most common fatal accident last year was falls from height, which accounted for 50 of the 138 deaths, while 25 involved a worker being struck by a moving vehicle and 20 being struck by an object. The last time that the number of fatal falls from height was greater was in 2007–08, when the figure was 58.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has said that the figures are of huge concern and has called for a joint effort to reduce the number of workplace deaths.
Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Ruth Wilkinson, said: “There has been a rise in fatalities in construction, meaning the number of deaths in that industry is significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. There has also been a rise in the total number of workplace fatalities so it’s clear that lessons aren’t being learned and that much more still needs to be done to protect workers.”
The statistics are collected under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) and are published as provisional at this stage. The HSE has said that they will be finalised in July 2025.