Warehouse accidents statistics UK

Warehouses combine moving vehicles, stored goods, manual handling and work at height. Preventing injuries depends on how these activities are organised and supervised.

HSE’s sector figures cover transportation and storage across Great Britain, including passenger and freight transport, warehousing, postal and courier activities. They provide context, but are not warehouse-only accident statistics.

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)

  • 15 worker deaths in transportation and storage in 2025/26, provisional.
  • 0.94 per 100,000 workers: the sector’s fatal-injury rate in 2025/26, provisional.
  • 40,000 injuries a year across the sector, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25.
  • 2.4% of sector workers injured annually over that period, against 1.8% across industries.
  • 7,698 injuries to sector employees reported under RIDDOR in 2024/25 in the 2025 sector report.
  • 32,000 workers with work-related MSDs annually across the sector, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25.
  • 47% of sector ill-health cases were MSDs over that three-year period.
  • 2.3 million days lost annually to sector injury and ill health, averaged over 2022/23–2024/25.
  • £1.4 billion societal cost of sector injury and new work-related ill health in 2023/24.

The transportation and storage sector: scale and risk

Transportation and storage is a broad industry group. A warehouse attached to a business in another industry may not be counted within it. Sector totals are therefore not a census of every warehouse or warehouse worker.

The latest three-year LFS estimates show an above-average non-fatal injury rate. Local risks depend on the goods, storage system, traffic, equipment and work organisation.

Fatal injuries in transportation and storage

Transportation and storage recorded 15 worker deaths in 2025/26, provisional, compared with a revised 17 in 2024/25. Its 2025/26 fatal-injury rate was 0.94 per 100,000 workers, compared with 0.37 across all industries.

The sector recorded 73 deaths over 2021/22–2025/26, averaging about 15 a year. Being struck by a moving vehicle accounted for 30% across this five-year period. That is a broad sector result, not a warehouse or forklift-only percentage.

The main warehouse accident hazards

  • Vehicles: contact between people and lift trucks, lorries or other equipment.
  • Manual handling: forceful, awkward or repetitive tasks.
  • Slips and trips: contamination, packaging, defects or obstructed routes.
  • Falls from height: loading bays, access equipment and raised work areas.
  • Falling objects: unstable loads, damaged pallets or storage-system failures.
  • Machinery: access to moving parts, including during maintenance.

These are hazards identified in HSE warehouse guidance, not a statistical ranking of warehouse injuries.

Forklift and workplace transport accidents

The national fatal series records 24 workers struck by a moving vehicle in 2025/26, provisional. This includes many vehicle types and is not a forklift-only total.

The pedestrian collision problem

Organise access around who needs to be in each area. The table gives practical controls rather than an unsupported percentage breakdown of victims.

People exposedExample control
Pedestrians moving through the warehouseSeparated walkways and controlled crossings.
Staff beside loading operationsRestricted access and an agreed safe working area.
Visiting delivery driversSite instructions and a safe waiting place.

Why forklifts are particularly dangerous

Loads and the truck structure can obstruct visibility. Turning and unsuitable surfaces can affect stability. Choose suitable equipment, speeds and routes, with competent operators and required restraints. Do not rely solely on alarms or high-visibility clothing.

Manual handling injuries in warehouses

Transportation and storage had an annual average of 32,000 work-related MSD cases over 2022/23–2024/25. Its rate was 1,800 per 100,000 workers, above the all-industry rate of 1,180.

Nationally, handling, lifting or carrying accounted for 17% of RIDDOR non-fatal employee injuries in 2024/25. This is not a warehouse-only share. Assess repetition, reach, load stability and aids, and avoid unnecessary handling before relying on technique.

Slips, trips and falls

Water at loading areas, wrapping, broken pallets and damaged surfaces create hazards. Keep routes clear, repair defects and organise cleaning so contaminated surfaces are not left accessible.

Same-level slips, trips and falls accounted for 30% of RIDDOR non-fatal employee injuries across Great Britain in 2024/25. No warehouse count or loading-dock share can be calculated from that national percentage.

Falls from height

Plan stock access and loading so people do not need to climb racking or use unsuitable equipment. Use properly selected access equipment and protect exposed edges where required. Standing directly on forklift forks is not a safe access method.

Falls from height caused 31 worker deaths nationally in 2025/26, provisional. This demonstrates the severity of the hazard but is not a count of warehouse deaths.

Warehouse ill health: the overlooked risk

The sector report estimates 32,000 work-related MSD cases and 19,000 cases of stress, depression or anxiety annually over 2022/23–2024/25. These include new and long-standing conditions across transportation and storage.

Assess noise, vibration, temperature and workload too. Hearing-protection duties depend on assessed daily or weekly exposure and peak levels, not a single instantaneous noise reading. Use engineering and organisational controls before relying on personal protection.

Managing changes in warehouse work

Changes in throughput, staffing, deliveries or automation should trigger a risk assessment review. New equipment may remove some tasks while introducing different access or maintenance hazards.

Plan for peak demand with enough space, supervision and induction. Compare similar tasks and exposure when reviewing local incident data, and check whether reporting practices have changed.

The cost of warehouse accidents

HSE values the societal cost of transportation and storage injuries and new work-related ill health at £1.4 billion in 2023/24, about 6% of the Great Britain total. This includes individuals, employers and government.

An average 2.3 million working days were lost annually in the sector over 2022/23–2024/25: 13% to injury and 87% to illness. Neither the cost nor days figure is warehouse-only.

Which workers are most at risk?

Assess the work and exposure of operators, pickers, cleaners, maintenance staff and visitors. Temporary and new workers need the same effective protection as established staff.

Check that instructions are understood and competence matches the task. An age or regional ranking cannot replace an assessment of the actual work.

In Great Britain, relevant duties cover manual handling, safe equipment under PUWER, lifting operations under LOLER, work at height and workplace traffic. Northern Ireland has separate legislation.

Maintain racking and storage systems and arrange inspections at appropriate intervals based on risk and manufacturer guidance. Report damage promptly and prevent use of unsafe equipment. A blanket monthly check does not replace a suitable inspection system.

Preventing warehouse accidents: what works

Workplace transport and forklift safety

Separate routes, control loading areas and confirm operator competence and authorisation.

Manual handling

Reduce unnecessary handling; provide suitable aids, storage heights and practical instruction.

Slips, trips and falls

Control contamination and keep routes clear, well lit and in good repair.

Falls from height

Plan access and edge protection; prevent climbing on storage or improvised platforms.

New starters and agency workers

Provide induction and supervision before work begins, and check understanding.

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 presents occupational health risks in the warehouse and logistics sector, and our training is used by businesses across fulfilment, distribution, and supply chain operations to help workers understand the risks, apply safe techniques, and protect their long-term health. The statistics in this guide reflect the scale of the challenge that warehousing operators face every day — and the scale of the benefit when safety is taken seriously.

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.