Construction work can expose people to unprotected edges, openings and fragile surfaces. This guide separates fatal injuries, employer-reported injuries and survey estimates, so each figure has a clear period and meaning. HSE statistics here cover Great Britain.
Reviewed 15 October 2026. Fatal data: 2025/26 provisional. Non-fatal reports: 2024/25 provisional. Survey figures use the stated three-year annual averages.
Key facts and figures
- 25 construction workers died in work-related accidents in 2025/26, across all accident kinds (provisional).
- 1.23 fatal injuries per 100,000 construction workers in 2025/26, compared with 0.37 across all industries (provisional).
- 736 non-fatal falls from height to construction employees were reported under RIDDOR in 2024/25 (provisional).
- 34% of reported specified injuries in construction were falls from height in 2024/25 (provisional).
- 50,000 construction workers sustained a non-fatal injury each year on average, across all accident kinds, in 2022/23–2024/25 (LFS).
- 2.2m working days were lost annually to construction injury and work-related ill health, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25 (LFS).
Construction fatal injuries in context
Construction recorded the largest number of worker fatalities among the broad industry groups in 2025/26: 25, compared with 35 in revised 2024/25 data. Its latest fatal injury rate, 1.23 per 100,000 workers, was about 3.3 times the all-industry rate. These are all-accident figures, not counts of fatal falls.
Annual fatality numbers can fluctuate. Across 2021/22–2025/26, construction recorded 186 worker deaths; 85 involved self-employed workers. These totals describe employment status, without establishing why an individual incident happened.
Falls are a major construction hazard
The latest published detailed construction report uses the earlier five-year period 2020/21–2024/25. Falls from height accounted for 53% of construction worker fatalities in that analysis. The following breakdown retains that report’s period and provisional 2024/25 basis; it is not a breakdown of the 25 deaths in 2025/26.
| Accident kind | Share of construction worker deaths, 2020/21–2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Falls from height | 53% |
| Trapped by something collapsing or overturning | 11% |
| Struck by a moving, flying or falling object | 10% |
| Struck by a moving vehicle | 9% |
Why construction needs effective fall controls
Work changes as a building is erected, altered or demolished. A protected working area can become unsafe when an opening is created, a guardrail is removed or access changes. Planning must cover the sequence of work and the people affected, including contractors and those below.
Short jobs still need suitable precautions. Training supports the safe system of work, alongside appropriate equipment, inspection, supervision and arrangements for rescue. A course certificate alone does not demonstrate competence for every task.
Non-fatal falls and the wider injury picture
Employers reported 3,726 non-fatal injuries to construction employees under RIDDOR in 2024/25. Of these, 736 were falls from height: 513 specified injuries and 223 over-seven-day injuries. Falls represented 20% of all reported non-fatal construction injuries and 34% of specified injuries. These counts are provisional.
The LFS estimate of 50,000 injured construction workers per year covers all accident kinds and averages 2022/23–2024/25. It includes workers and injuries outside the employee reporting series. It should not be compared with RIDDOR as though the difference were entirely missing statutory reports.
The same three-year construction analysis estimated 79,000 workers with work-related ill health and 2.2 million working days lost annually to illness and injury combined. Neither is a falls-only measure.
Activities requiring careful planning
- Roof work: consider edges, openings, fragile sheets and rooflights, with safe access and suitable fall protection.
- Scaffolding and steelwork: plan erection, alteration and dismantling as well as use of the completed structure.
- Formwork and floor openings: maintain protection as the work progresses and access routes change.
- Demolition and refurbishment: assess structural condition and fragile materials before access.
- Maintenance: select equipment for the task and location, including work expected to take only a few minutes.
Legal duties and practical controls
In Great Britain, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 require work to be planned, supervised and carried out by competent people. Avoid work at height where reasonably practicable; otherwise prevent falls and then minimise the distance and consequences of any remaining fall risk. Give collective protection priority over personal protection.
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 also allocate duties to clients, designers and contractors. A construction phase plan is required for construction projects, including domestic work; where more than one contractor is involved, principal contractor and principal designer duties also apply. Equipment choice, competence and coordination must match the actual work.
Sources & references
- HSE — fatal injuries, 2025/26 provisional and revised earlier years (RIDFATAL)
- HSE — injuries by accident kind and industry, non-fatal data 2024/25 provisional (RIDKIND)
- HSE — self-reported injuries and working days lost by accident kind (LFSINJKND), 2022/23–2024/25 annual averages
- HSE — Construction statistics in Great Britain, 2025
- HSE — introduction to working at height safely
- HSE — work at height step-by-step guide
- Work at Height Regulations 2005, Great Britain
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
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Mark writes about working at height, workplace safety, compliance and accredited training for Working at Heights Course, part of Online CPD Academy.