A fall can harm a worker and disrupt the business around them. This guide uses HSE evidence for Great Britain to explain the scale of lost working time and the wider cost of workplace injury. The national monetary estimates cover all accident kinds; they should not be treated as a falls-only cost or a typical business’s bill.
Reviewed 15 October 2026. Fatal figures: 2025/26 provisional. Fall-injury and days-lost estimates: annual averages for 2022/23–2024/25. National cost model: reference year 2023/24.
Key facts and figures
- £6.5bn estimated societal cost of workplace injuries of all kinds in Great Britain, reference year 2023/24.
- 249,000 working days lost each year to falls from height, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25 (LFS).
- £22.9bn estimated societal cost of all workplace injuries and new work-related ill health, reference year 2023/24.
- 31 workers died in falls from height in Great Britain in 2025/26 (provisional).
- 35,000 workers injured in falls from height annually on average, 2022/23–2024/25 (LFS).
- £188 per hour is HSE’s Fee for Intervention rate from 1 April 2026, where the scheme applies.
The economic burden: what the figures measure
HSE’s Costs to Britain model estimates £22.9 billion for injuries and new cases of work-related ill health in reference year 2023/24, using annual-average case data from 2022/23–2024/25. Workplace injuries account for £6.5 billion and ill health for £16.4 billion.
These are societal estimates covering individuals, employers and government. They combine financial costs, such as lost output and healthcare, with a monetary valuation of effects on quality of life and loss of life. They do not measure only falls, and they are not compensation awards or insurance payouts.
At business level, relevant costs can include replacement cover, management time, interrupted work and damage. The extent depends on the circumstances, severity and duration of the incident. A single national falls-cost estimate would not establish what a specific employer should expect to pay.
Working days lost to falls
The latest HSE accident-kind survey table estimates 249,000 working days lost annually through falls from height, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25. Its 95% confidence interval is 81,000–416,000 days. The 416,000 figure is the upper confidence limit, not the estimate itself.
The corresponding injury estimate is 35,000 workers per year, with a 95% confidence interval of 26,000–44,000. Neither number is a standalone 2024/25 count. The wide ranges mean small differences between releases should not be presented as precise annual trends.
Lost days can affect staffing, delivery schedules and the injured person’s income and recovery. These consequences vary; the survey does not show that every fall causes a lengthy absence or permanent inability to return to the same job.
Enforcement and other costs to consider
Where HSE finds a material breach of health and safety law and its Fee for Intervention scheme applies, it can recover the cost of relevant work. The rate is £188 per hour from 1 April 2026. A fee is not an automatic charge after every accident, and it is separate from a criminal fine.
| Cost area | What it may involve | Planning consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Business disruption | Lost output, replacement cover and management time | Plan staffing and safe continuity arrangements |
| Investigation and correction | Incident review, equipment checks and remedial work | Record findings and address underlying failures |
| Enforcement | Applicable HSE cost recovery, notices or prosecution | Meet legal duties before work starts |
| Claims and insurance | Legal advice, claims handling and policy excesses | Check the actual policy and seek appropriate advice |
Fines and compensation depend on the legal process and case facts. Insurance terms also vary. Quoting a single prosecution as an average accident cost, or assuming a claim always increases premiums, would mislead a business planning its own controls.
Planning prevention expenditure
Start by deciding whether the task can be done from ground level. Where work at height is necessary, assess the task, access, ground conditions, edges, openings, fragile surfaces, weather and rescue needs. Choose controls that prevent falls before relying on measures that limit their consequences.
Budget for the complete safe system: competent planning, suitable access equipment, inspection and maintenance, task-specific training, supervision and emergency arrangements. The cost varies with the site and work. An online awareness course can support understanding, but it cannot replace practical equipment training or make an unsafe task compliant.
Review actual incident and near-miss records to identify improvements. Prevention decisions should follow the risk and legal duties; there is no universal course budget or guaranteed return-on-investment ratio for avoiding a fall.
Sources & references
- HSE — fatal injuries, 2025/26 provisional and revised earlier years (RIDFATAL)
- HSE — self-reported injuries and working days lost by accident kind (LFSINJKND), 2022/23–2024/25 annual averages
- HSE — Costs to Britain of workplace injuries and ill health, reference year 2023/24
- HSE — Fee for Intervention: when it applies
- HSE — cost recovery rates from 1 April 2026
- HSE — introduction to working at height safely
- HSE — work at height step-by-step guide
- Work at Height Regulations 2005, Great Britain
The numbers make a simple financial case: training costs a fraction of a single incident.
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Mark writes about working at height safety, compliance and accredited training for Working at Heights Course, part of Online CPD Academy.