126 Workers Died at Work Last Year: What the New HSE Statistics Really Tell Us

The headline numbers

The Health and Safety Executive's annual figures show that 126 workers were killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain in 2025/26. That is two fewer than the previous year, and provisionally the lowest figure recorded outside the pandemic years. Twenty years ago it was 217, and back in 1981 it was 495. For the first time, the HSE has also compared Great Britain's rate against 35 other countries, and it holds up very well.

Construction recorded the most fatalities of any sector, with 25. Agriculture, forestry and fishing followed closely with 22. That sector is worth flagging, because it carries the highest fatal injury rate per 100,000 workers of any main industry, even though its total workforce is smaller than construction's.

Falls from height remained the single biggest cause of fatal injury, making up roughly a quarter of all deaths. Being struck by moving vehicles, objects and machinery accounted for much of the rest.

The trend that deserves more attention

One figure really stands out. Workers aged 60 and over accounted for around a third of all workplace fatalities, despite making up only about 12% of the UK workforce. That is a striking over-representation, and with the state pension age rising and more people working later in life, it is a trend likely to grow rather than fade.

It is a good prompt to ask whether your risk assessments properly account for an older workforce. Not as a tick-box gesture, but in real terms: physical capability, reaction times, fatigue, and the sort of tasks (working at height, manual handling, vehicle work) where a slip or a moment of inattention carries heavier consequences for an older worker.

Historic exposure still costing lives

The statistics also included the annual mesothelioma figures. Some 2,146 people died from the disease in 2024 as a result of past asbestos exposure. That is down on the previous year, but still a stark reminder that corners cut decades ago are still costing lives now. It is a useful number to keep handy if you ever need to make the internal case for taking asbestos management seriously, even in buildings where exposure feels like ancient history.

What to take from this

Three practical points for anyone responsible for health and safety:

1.      Falls from height are still the number one killer. If your work at height controls have not been looked at in a while, now is a sensible time.

2.     Do not overlook your older workers. Age-appropriate risk assessment is not just good practice; the data suggests it is where a real chunk of the risk sits.

3.     Legacy risks still count. Asbestos and other historic exposures are not a solved problem just because the original work happened years ago.

Great Britain's overall safety record is one to be proud of, however there are always lessons worth learning.