Slips, Trips and Falls Statistics UK

Slips, trips and falls on the same level were the largest category of non-fatal employee injuries reported under RIDDOR in 2024/25. Falls from height are recorded separately and were the leading kind of fatal work accident in 2025/26.

The statistics below cover Great Britain, not the whole UK. Keeping the two accident categories and their reporting systems separate makes the figures useful for prevention.

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)

  • 30% of RIDDOR non-fatal employee injuries were same-level slips, trips or falls in 2024/25.
  • 59,219 non-fatal employee injuries of all kinds were reported under RIDDOR in 2024/25.
  • 31 deaths involved falls from height in 2025/26, provisional.
  • 8% of RIDDOR non-fatal employee injuries involved falls from height in 2024/25.
  • 37 deaths a year involved falls from height on average over 2021/22–2025/26, including provisional data.
  • 680,000 workers reported a non-fatal injury of any kind in the 2024/25 LFS estimate.
  • 4.4 million working days were lost to all workplace injuries in 2024/25.
  • £6.5 billion was the estimated societal cost of all workplace injuries in 2023/24.
  • 2.5% of construction workers reported an injury annually, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25.
  • 2.4% of transportation and storage workers reported an injury annually over the same period.

How Common Are Slips, Trips and Falls at Work?

The 30% figure describes RIDDOR non-fatal employee injuries. It should not be multiplied by the LFS estimate of 680,000 injured workers: the sources have different coverage.

Same-level falls and falls from height together account for about 38% of the RIDDOR series, using the published rounded shares. This combined percentage is not a count of all falls experienced by workers.

Slips, Trips and Falls vs. Falls from Height

Same-level slips, trips and falls include losing footing or tripping while moving across a floor or other surface. Falls from height include falls from ladders, platforms, roofs or other positions above a lower level.

In 2024/25, these accounted for 30% and 8% respectively of RIDDOR non-fatal employee injuries. The separate fatal series records 31 workers killed by falls from height in 2025/26, provisional. A trip can lead to a fall from height, but the published accident categories must not be added twice.

Working Days Lost

HSE estimates that all workplace injuries caused 4.4 million lost working days in Great Britain in 2024/25. This provides context for injury-related absence; it is not a slip-and-trip-only estimate.

Employers can use their own injury and absence records to understand the effect at their premises. Keep the cause, severity and time away from normal duties distinct when reviewing those records.

The Cost to UK Businesses and Society

The latest HSE model values the total societal cost of workplace injuries at £6.5 billion for 2023/24. New work-related ill health accounts for a further £16.4 billion. These costs include effects on individuals as well as employers and government.

A current national cost attributable only to slips and trips is not established by these totals. Local prevention decisions should consider the potential injury, work disruption, treatment and recovery costs.

Which Industries Are Most Affected?

Slips and trips can occur wherever people work. The relevant exposure differs: food or water on a kitchen floor, packaging in a warehouse aisle, cables on a construction site or a wet entrance in a public building.

For context, all-injury LFS rates averaged 2.5% in construction and 2.4% in transportation and storage over 2022/23–2024/25, compared with 1.8% across industries. These are broad injury rates, not a ranking of industries by slip-and-trip risk.

The Main Causes of Slips, Trips and Falls

For slips:

  • Contamination such as water, oil or food on a walking surface.
  • Flooring or footwear that does not provide suitable grip for the conditions.
  • Cleaning that leaves a wet surface accessible before it dries.
  • Environmental factors such as rain, poor lighting or changes between surfaces.

For trips:

  • Objects, cables or packaging left on routes.
  • Damaged floors, uneven surfaces and changes in level.
  • Inadequate storage, access or lighting that makes hazards difficult to avoid.

These factors should guide an assessment. They do not establish a current national percentage for each individual cause.

Slips, Trips and Falls and Fatal Injuries

Falls from height caused 31 of the 126 worker deaths recorded in Great Britain in 2025/26, about a quarter. Both figures are provisional. The five-year average was 37 height-related deaths per year over 2021/22–2025/26.

HSE reports that over half of construction worker deaths across that five-year period involved a fall from height. This is a sector-specific fatal-injury finding, not the proportion of all construction accidents.

The Reporting Gap: How Many Go Unrecorded?

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates injuries of all severities, including cases that do not meet the RIDDOR reporting criteria. RIDDOR covers defined reportable incidents and, in the non-fatal employee series, is also affected by under-reporting. These sources measure different populations; subtracting one total from the other does not measure breaches of reporting law.

HSE estimates that employers report around half of non-fatal employee injuries that meet RIDDOR criteria. That does not imply that only one in nine slips is reported. Survey confidence intervals describe sampling uncertainty; they do not guarantee that a point estimate equals the true count.

In Great Britain, employers must assess and control risks to employees and others affected by their work. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 include requirements for suitable floors and traffic routes. Work at height is subject to its own requirements.

Report qualifying incidents under RIDDOR and keep the appropriate records. A seven-day absence is not the only trigger: a specified injury can be reportable regardless of the time off work. Northern Ireland has separate legislation.

Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls: What Works

For Employers

Prevent contamination, repair defects and organise storage so routes stay clear. Choose flooring, cleaning methods and footwear for the actual conditions. Keep people away from wet cleaning areas until safe; a warning sign alone does not remove the hazard. Review controls after incidents or changes in the workplace.

For Workers

  • Follow the agreed routes and cleaning arrangements.
  • Report spills, damaged flooring and obstructions promptly.
  • Use suitable footwear and handrails where provided.
  • Keep loads from obstructing your view and seek a safer method where necessary.

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. While our specialism is manual handling, slips, trips and falls frequently occur in exactly the same environments — warehouses, manufacturing sites, healthcare settings, and logistics operations — and understanding the data that underpins the risk is essential for any employer or safety professional managing a physical workplace.

Sources & references

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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.