UK Construction Deaths Hit Record Low, But the Industry Is Still the Deadliest

Construction recorded provisionally its lowest annual death toll in the UK last year, yet still claimed more lives than any other industry, according to new figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The sector recorded 25 worker deaths in 2025/26, down sharply from 60 the previous year and the lowest figure since 2021/22. Outside pandemic-affected years, it is the lowest annual total on record, down from 217 in 2005/06 and 495 in 1981.

Despite the drop, construction topped every other sector. Agriculture, forestry and fishing came second with 22 deaths, though it carries the highest fatality rate per 100,000 workers at 8.09.

Across all industries, 126 workers were killed in work-related incidents in 2025/26, a slight rise from 124 the previous year. A further 104 members of the public died as a result of work-related incidents during the same period.

Falls from height remained the single most common cause of worker deaths, accounting for 31 fatalities, roughly a quarter of all workplace deaths across every sector.

HSE chief executive Sarah Albon said the figures were a reminder that every number represented a life lost. "We can be proud that Great Britain remains one of the safest places in the world to work," she said.

Separately, HSE published its annual mesothelioma figures, showing 2,146 people died from the asbestos-related cancer in Great Britain in 2024, down from an average of 2,508 per year over the preceding decade.