HSE’s latest provisional figures record 126 worker deaths in work-related accidents in Great Britain in 2025/26. This guide explains the causes, industry rates and limitations of that count. Great Britain excludes Northern Ireland, and accident deaths are a different measure from deaths due to occupational disease.
Workplace fatalities in Great Britain
The 2025/26 provisional total of 126 is two fewer than the revised 128 for 2024/25. The fatal-injury rate was 0.37 per 100,000 workers. HSE will finalise the latest year in July 2027.
Falls from height accounted for 31 deaths. Together with moving-vehicle incidents (24) and moving-object incidents (21), the three categories accounted for 76 deaths, about 60% of the total.
Reviewed 15 October 2026. HSE figures cover Great Britain, 2025/26 provisional, with revised 2024/25 comparisons. They count work-related accident deaths, not the full burden of occupational disease.
Key facts & figures
- 126 worker accident deaths in Great Britain in 2025/26, provisional; down from revised 128 in 2024/25.
- 0.37 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers in 2025/26.
- 495 worker deaths in 1981: the long-term count has fallen substantially.
- 31 fatal falls from height, about 25% of the latest worker total.
- 40 deaths involved workers aged 60 or over, about 32% of the total.
- 104 members of the public also died in reportable work-related accidents, subject to HSE’s stated exclusions.
The five most dangerous hazards
The five largest accident categories in the latest worker figures were:
- Falls from height: 31 deaths.
- Struck by a moving vehicle: 24 deaths.
- Struck by a moving object: 21 deaths, including flying or falling objects.
- Trapped by collapse or overturn: 18 deaths.
- Contact with moving machinery: 10 deaths.
Together they account for 104 of 126 deaths, about 83%. These categories are based on the recorded accident mechanism; they do not by themselves establish the underlying management failures.
Industries with the highest fatal injury rates
Construction had the highest count, 25, down from 35 in revised 2024/25 data. Its latest rate was 1.23 per 100,000 workers, about 3.3 times the all-industry rate of 0.37. Across 2021/22–2025/26, over half of construction deaths involved height falls.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing recorded 22 deaths and the highest sector rate, 8.09 per 100,000 workers. A smaller death count does not necessarily mean a lower risk when the workforce is smaller.
Waste and recycling had the second-highest rate, 5.47 per 100,000 workers. Transportation and storage recorded 15 deaths, compared with revised 17 in 2024/25.
| Industry, Great Britain | Deaths, 2025/26 provisional | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 25 | Rate 1.23 per 100,000 workers |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 22 | Rate 8.09 per 100,000 workers |
| Transportation and storage | 15 | 17 in revised 2024/25 data |
| Administrative and support services | 9 | All accident kinds |
Employment status and fatal injury risk
There were 40 self-employed worker deaths in 2025/26, about 32% of the total, compared with about 15% of the workforce. The other 86 deaths involved employees.
For height falls specifically, 11 people were self-employed and 20 were employees. Planning must consider the actual task, equipment and supervision; employment status alone does not explain the circumstances of an accident.
Members of the public
HSE recorded 104 public deaths in 2025/26, compared with revised 96 in 2024/25. The series excludes patient and service-user deaths in healthcare and adult social care in England that are reportable to the Care Quality Commission.
Public deaths are reported separately from worker deaths. Employers must manage risks to people affected by their work, including visitors, customers and passers-by. A single annual increase does not establish a sustained trend.
Long-term trends in fatal injury
The worker accident-death count fell from 495 in 1981 to 126 in 2025/26, a reduction of about 75%. That is a comparison of counts, not the percentage change in the fatal-injury rate.
Rates account for changes in workforce size and are preferable for assessing long-term risk. HSE describes a long-term decline in the fatal-injury rate, with a slower rate of improvement in recent years.
Annual counts fluctuate. Rolling averages and comparable definitions help interpret changes; individual annual counts should be read alongside rates, longer-term trends and information about work exposure.
Falls from height are the leading cause of workplace death — train your team to work safely.
Train your team to work safely at height →
Mark writes about working at height, workplace health and safety, compliance and accredited training for Working at Heights Course, part of Online CPD Academy.