Renewed Calls on Industry to Reduce Fall from Height Deaths

FOLLOWING THE release of the latest work-related fatal injuries statistics for Great Britain by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the No Falls Foundation has renewed its call on industry to stop falls from height and reduce deaths and injuries.

The latest issue of the HSE’s Work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain published last week, reveals that, in the past year alone, 35 people have died following a fall from height at work.

Although this is a reduction from the 49 deaths in 2023/24, the charity stresses that the previous year should not be the benchmark for ‘success’ this year. It emphasises 35 people left for work last year and did not return home.

Renewed Calls on Industry

The No Falls Foundation, a charity dedicated to the work at height sector, has called on industry to commit to reducing falls from height at work and ensure every worker goes home safely at the end of each day.

Falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace fatalities in Great Britain, accounting for almost one third of the 124 fatalities last year. Although an 8% reduction from 2023/24, the proportion of deaths from falls from height continued to rise last year, reaching 36% last year.

In 2024/25, fatalities to employees almost halved from the previous year (from 23 deaths to 12) and fatalities to the self-employed decreased by 11% from 26 deaths to 23. Self-employed deaths now account for the majority of fall from height deaths – this year, two thirds of the total – and a figure that’s been rising by around 10% each year since 2021/22 when the proportion was 33%.

There are an even greater number of non-fatal injuries resulting from a fall from height.

Almost 5,000 people in Great Britain were reported as injured at work in 2024/25. However, the No Falls Foundation says they know there is “substantial underreporting” of non-fatal falls from height for all workers, particularly the self-employed, who it says were found to report just 12% of workplace incidents.

According to the self-reported accidents from their preferred source, the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the HSE estimates the number of workplace falls from height over the last 10 years may be up to 425,000 (between 2014 – 2024).

‘Still Not Good Enough’

Hannah Williams, Charity Manager of the No Falls Foundation, said: “Too many people are still being killed falling from height. In the last five years, 188 people have been killed because of a fall from height. Over the last 10 years, that number rises to 361, enough to fill a jumbo jet. Something needs to be done to stop this.

“These deaths are not just statistics. Behind every number is a devastated family, group of friends, colleagues and employers who are left to face the long-term consequences these accidents can have. The statistics might show some improvement from last year, but it’s still not good enough.

“So today, the No Falls Foundation has renewed our call to industry to sit up and take immediate action by placing a focus on height safety.”

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