Roof work can involve exposed edges, openings, fragile materials and changing weather. It needs a planned system of safe access and fall protection, whether the task is a major installation or a short repair. This guide separates the available Great Britain construction and falls data from HSE’s roof-specific safety guidance.
Roof work and the available evidence
HSE describes roof work as high risk and identifies falls from edges or openings, through fragile roofs and through rooflights as principal hazards. Its current roof-work guidance says almost one in five construction deaths involve roof work, but does not state a reference period for that proportion. It should not be read as a 2025/26 annual statistic.
The latest annual fatal-injury tables do not establish a current “five times” fatality rate for roofers or a definitive ranking of individual trades. The figures below retain the broader construction and all-industry scope where that is what HSE measures.
Reviewed 15 October 2026. Fatal figures: Great Britain, 2025/26 provisional. Non-fatal figures: 2024/25 provisional. Roof-specific HSE guidance is identified separately from annual statistics.
Key facts and figures
- 31 workers died in falls from height across all industries in Great Britain in 2025/26 (provisional).
- 25 construction workers died across all accident kinds in 2025/26 (provisional).
- 736 non-fatal construction employee falls from height were reported in 2024/25 (provisional).
- 34% of specified construction injuries reported in 2024/25 were falls from height (provisional).
- ~1 in 5 construction deaths involve roof work according to current HSE guidance; its reference period is not stated.
- 3 hazards highlighted by HSE: roof edges or openings, fragile roofs and fragile rooflights.
The national counts do not isolate roofing incidents. HSE’s roof-work guidance is useful for identifying controls, but its broad historical proportions should not be combined with a current annual total to calculate a new death count.
| Measure or guidance | Figure | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal falls from height | 31 | All industries; GB 2025/26 provisional |
| Construction fatalities | 25 | All accident kinds; GB 2025/26 provisional |
| Reported construction falls | 736 | Non-fatal employees; GB 2024/25 provisional |
| Falls as share of specified construction injuries | 34% | GB 2024/25 provisional |
| Roof work in HSE guidance | Almost 1 in 5 construction deaths | Guidance estimate; reference period unstated |
The roofing risk profile
The safe system needs to account for the roof’s material and condition, the strength of supporting structures, access routes, edges and openings. A surface that looks sound may still be fragile. Do not rely on appearance, age or a person’s familiarity with the building as proof of safety.
Plan the sequence of work so that protection remains in place while materials are moved, openings are formed and work positions change. Working from below or from a suitable platform may avoid the need to stand on the roof.
Domestic roof work
A small domestic project still needs planning and suitable precautions. CDM 2015 requires a construction phase plan for construction work; the absence of a large site team does not remove that duty.
Domestic client duties normally pass to the contractor on a single-contractor project, or to the principal contractor where more than one contractor is involved. A principal designer can take on client duties by written agreement. The arrangements should be clear before work begins.
A brief repair is not automatically low risk. Select appropriate access and fall protection for the actual roof and task, rather than assuming a short duration makes an unprotected edge acceptable.
Weather and changing conditions
Wind, rain, ice and poor visibility can affect footing, stability, materials and equipment. Assess the conditions before work and keep them under review, following equipment limits and the planned safe system.
Stop or change the work when conditions prevent the precautions being maintained.
Non-roofers on rooftops
HSE notes that people killed during roof work include those carrying out repairs and cleaning, as well as specialist roofers. Maintenance staff and visiting contractors therefore need suitable information and controls before access.
Communicate roof fragility, protected routes, access restrictions and rescue arrangements. General awareness training can support this process, but does not establish competence to assess a roof, install fall-protection systems or undertake specialist roofing work.
The legal framework for roof work
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply in Great Britain alongside relevant construction duties. The controls must follow the hierarchy of avoiding height work, preventing falls and then reducing the distance and consequences of any remaining fall risk.
- Safe access: plan how people and materials reach and leave the work area.
- Edges and openings: provide suitable protection, selecting collective measures in preference to personal protection where appropriate.
- Fragile surfaces: treat roofs as fragile until a competent person confirms otherwise and use a suitable protected system of access.
- Rooflights: protect them with barriers or secured, labelled covers.
- Competence and rescue: provide task-specific instruction, supervision and a practicable emergency plan.
Safety nets and fall-arrest systems reduce the consequences of a fall; they do not prevent the fall from starting. Roof ladders or crawling boards alone are not a complete fall-protection system.
Enforcement and learning from incidents
HSE can take enforcement action where roof work is unsafe, including action before anyone is injured. Prohibition or improvement notices and prosecution address different circumstances; a fine in one case is not a standard tariff for every roof incident.
Incident reviews should examine planning, access, equipment, supervision and the condition of the roof. The practical lesson is to correct the unsafe system, rather than assume that buying a training course alone fulfils the employer’s duties.
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 — roof work
- HSE — fragile surfaces
- HSE — Health and safety in roof work (HSG33)
- HSE — domestic clients and CDM 2015
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
- HSE — introduction to working at height safely
- HSE — work at height step-by-step guide
- Work at Height Regulations 2005, Great Britain
- HSE — enforcement policy
Make sure everyone who accesses a roof is trained to work safely at height.
Train your team to work safely at height →
Mark writes about working at height, roof work risk and accredited online training for Working at Heights Course, part of Online CPD Academy.