Construction fatalities have increased by 70% over five years

Number of fatalities up by 70 percent

In the year ending March 31, 2024, there were 51 construction worker deaths, accounting for 37 percent of fatalities across all surveyed industries.

While overall workplace deaths across industries remain consistent with pre-pandemic levels, the construction sector saw a dramatic increase, with the latest figure 70 percent higher than in 2018/19, the last full year before the pandemic.

"The average number of worker deaths in construction over the past two years is significantly higher than in the pre-pandemic period," the HSE reported.

Construction fatalities in 2023/24 were more than double those in the agriculture, forestry and mining sectors, which recorded 23 deaths. This also surpasses the five-year annual average of 42 fatal injuries in construction.

The HSE data includes fatalities from work-related accidents in 2023/24 reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. Falls from height accounted for 50 deaths across all industries, up from 41 in 2022/23, with the 2023/24 figure 35 percent above the five-year average of 37.

The statistics were released shortly after a significant drop in HSE investigations into falls from height. The rate of fatal injury in construction was found to be five times higher than the all-industry average.

Industry response

Peter Bennett, chair of the Access Industry Forum (AIF), called for a simplified reporting system for workplace accidents (particularly falls from height). He noted that the current focus on incident type rather than cause hampers efforts to prevent such accidents. “We need to understand the causes of falls from height to tackle this worsening issue effectively,” he said.

Julie Riggs, director of education and membership at the British Safety Council, highlighted the importance of maintaining vigilance regarding worker health and safety. “The rise in work-related fatalities is a stark reminder that complacency is not an option,” she said. “The consequences of poor health and safety are too-great-a-price to pay.”

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