Construction Workplace Injury Statistics UK

Construction recorded the highest number of worker deaths of any main industry in Great Britain in 2025/26. Its injury rate is also above the all-industry average, although the sector with the most deaths is not necessarily the sector with the highest rate per worker.

This guide separates the latest provisional fatal-injury figures for 2025/26 from the non-fatal injury and ill-health estimates in HSE’s 2025 construction report. These statistics cover England, Scotland and Wales.

Reviewed 15 October 2026. HSE statistics cover Great Britain. Non-fatal injury and ill-health figures are for 2024/25 or the stated multi-year average; fatal figures are 2025/26 provisional. Cost estimates refer to 2023/24.

Key facts & figures (overview)

  • 25 deaths of construction workers in 2025/26, provisional.
  • 37 deaths a year on average over 2021/22–2025/26, including provisional data.
  • Over half of construction worker deaths involved falls from height over 2021/22–2025/26.
  • 50,000 injuries a year estimated by the LFS, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25.
  • 2.5% of construction workers injured annually over that three-year period, against 1.8% across industries.
  • 3,726 injuries to construction employees reported under RIDDOR in 2024/25 in the 2025 sector report.
  • 79,000 workers with work-related ill health annually, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25.
  • 41,000 workers with work-related MSDs annually over the same period.
  • 53% of construction ill-health cases were MSDs over that three-year period.
  • £1.4 billion estimated societal cost of construction injury and new work-related ill health in 2023/24.

Fatal injuries in UK construction

The latest HSE report records 25 construction worker deaths in 2025/26, provisional, out of 126 across Great Britain. That is about one fifth of the total. The construction five-year average was 37 per year for 2021/22–2025/26.

Rates allow for workforce size. Across that five-year period, construction’s fatal-injury rate was about five times the all-industry rate. Agriculture, forestry and fishing had a higher rate, despite construction having more deaths in the latest year.

The leading causes of construction fatalities

Over half of construction worker deaths over 2021/22–2025/26 involved falls from height, averaging 19 deaths a year. These figures include the provisional latest year.

Other serious site hazards include moving vehicles, falling materials, machinery and collapse. National cause totals cannot be presented as construction-only counts; the risk assessment must reflect the activities on the particular site.

Non-fatal injuries in construction

The LFS estimates an annual average of 50,000 construction workers sustaining a non-fatal injury over 2022/23–2024/25. It is not a total of 50,000 across all three years. About 29% of these injuries resulted in more than seven days away from work.

The corresponding annual injury prevalence was 2.5% of construction workers, compared with 1.8% across all industries. Separately, the 2025 sector report records 3,726 RIDDOR employee injuries in 2024/25: 1,525 specified injuries and 2,201 over-seven-day injuries.

The leading causes of construction non-fatal injuries

HSE’s construction report analyses specified injuries and over-seven-day injuries separately. Their accident-type percentages cannot be combined into a single all-injury breakdown.

Slips and trips, handling tasks, falling objects and falls from height all require attention. The LFS supplies the broader injury estimate; RIDDOR supplies detail about defined reportable injuries. A national RIDDOR share should not be multiplied by the construction LFS estimate.

Construction ill health: the bigger picture

An estimated 79,000 construction workers had work-related ill health each year on average over 2022/23–2024/25. This includes new and long-standing conditions: 41,000 MSD cases and 15,000 cases of stress, depression or anxiety.

MSDs represented 53% of construction ill-health cases; stress, depression or anxiety represented 19%. These are not percentages of accidents or evidence that 53% of MSDs were caused by manual handling.

Asbestos and occupational disease

Past asbestos exposure remains an important cause of occupational disease. Workers disturbing older buildings can encounter asbestos-containing materials, so planning must establish whether asbestos is present before intrusive work begins.

Use the appropriate survey and controls for the work, competent people and licensed contractors where required. Asbestos awareness training alone does not qualify someone to work on asbestos. National disease estimates must not be described as deaths occurring solely within today’s construction workforce.

Musculoskeletal disorders in construction

Construction’s work-related MSD rate averaged 2,000 per 100,000 workers over 2022/23–2024/25, significantly above the all-industry rate of 1,180. The sector estimate of 41,000 cases is an annual average.

Manual handling, repetitive work, vibration and awkward postures can contribute. Risk reduction should start with the work design, load, access and equipment rather than relying on lifting technique alone.

Who is most at risk?

The national fatal-injury report shows higher rates among older and self-employed workers, but these are not construction-only risk ratios. Employment patterns and the type of work affect comparisons.

On site, assess the actual work and the person’s needs. New starters, temporary workers, subcontractors and people changing tasks need suitable information, instruction and supervision. Avoid assuming that age or experience alone establishes competence.

The cost of construction accidents and ill health

HSE estimates the societal cost of construction workplace injury and new work-related ill health at £1.4 billion for 2023/24, approximately 6% of the £22.9 billion total across Great Britain.

This includes financial costs and the value assigned to effects on life and health. It is not the construction industry’s compensation bill or an employer-only loss estimate.

The latest fatal count is lower than construction’s five-year average, but annual totals fluctuate. HSE uses rolling averages to reduce the effect of that variation.

For non-fatal injuries, the 2025 construction report says the latest LFS rate was not statistically different from 2016/17–2018/19. A change in a single point estimate is not enough to demonstrate that the underlying risk has risen or fallen.

Interpreting international construction comparisons

A fair international comparison needs matching industry definitions, worker coverage, reporting rules and years. The figures here describe Great Britain and should not be treated as a world ranking of construction safety.

For decisions on an individual project, compare like-for-like activities and exposure as well as headline accident totals.

In Great Britain, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 assign duties to clients, designers and contractors to manage risks throughout a project. Employers also have duties under general health and safety law and regulations covering work at height, equipment, hazardous substances and manual handling.

Risk assessments, competent supervision and suitable training must reflect the work. A general online course does not replace site induction or task-specific practical instruction. Northern Ireland has its own legislative framework.

Preventing construction injuries: what works

Falls from height

Avoid work at height where practicable. Where it remains necessary, plan suitable access and prioritise measures that prevent falls, such as protected working platforms.

Manual handling and MSDs

Plan deliveries and storage, reduce unnecessary movement and use suitable handling aids. Assess repetitive and awkward work as well as heavy loads.

Asbestos

Identify suspect materials before disturbance and use the competence, controls and licensing required for the task.

Silica dust and other respiratory hazards

Assess dust-generating work and use suitable suppression or extraction, with respiratory protection where needed as part of the control system.

Across the site

Separate people and vehicles, maintain clear access, coordinate contractors and act on reports of defects and near misses.

Written by workplace safety experts

This guide was produced by the team at Manual Handling Training, a UK provider of RoSPA-approved and CPD-accredited online health and safety training. Manual handling is among the leading causes of injury and long-term ill health in the construction sector, and our training is used by construction businesses, principal contractors, and specialist subcontractors across the UK to help workers understand the risks they face every day on site. Because construction safety sits at the heart of what we do, we are well placed to present the latest data clearly for safety professionals, site managers, HR teams, and workers alike.

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Mark McShane
Mark McShane
Health & Safety Training Specialist, Online CPD Academy

Mark writes about workplace health & safety, manual handling and accredited online training for Manual Handling Training, part of Online CPD Academy.