Falls from Height Lead Deaths in 2025 HSE Statistics

FALLS FROM HEIGHT continue to be the most common cause of death in the latest annual statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), representing over a quarter of worker deaths in 2024/2025.

124 workers were killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain between April 2024 to March 2025, down from 138 in the previous 12-month period.

Construction was once again the industry with the highest number of deaths (35). This was followed by agriculture, forestry and fishing (23). Of all main industry sectors, agriculture, forestry and fishing continues to have the highest rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers, followed by waste and recycling.

Male workers continue to account for the vast majority of fatal injuries, with 95% of workers killed in 2024/25 being men, a similar proportion to earlier years. Furthermore, deaths to workers aged 60 and over continue to account for a substantial proportion of the total – around 40% in 2024/25.

92 members of the public were also killed in work-related accidents in 2024/25.

HSE Chief Executive Sarah Albon said: “Great Britain is one of the safest places in the world to work, but we must remember each of these deaths represents a tragedy for families, friends and communities.

“Despite the stability in numbers, we cannot accept that fatal accidents are an inevitable part of working life. We are encouraged by the long-term trend but urge against complacency on workplace safety.

“Our practical and proportionate guidance is available for free on our website, and further support is available if needed.”

The figures relate to work-related accidents and do not include deaths arising from occupational diseases or diseases arising from certain occupational exposures.

Mesothelioma Figures

The HSE has also published the annual figures for mesothelioma, a cancer caused by past exposure to asbestos.

The figures show that 2,218 people died from the disease in 2023, representing a fall of 62 compared with 2022 and substantially lower than the average of 2,508 deaths per year over the ten-year period 2011-2020. Current mesothelioma deaths reflect exposure to asbestos that often occurred before the 1980s and annual deaths are expected to continue declining during the next decade.

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