HSE Releases Latest Workplace Fatality Figures

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11 July 2023

Health and Safety Executive figures show that 135 workers died in work-related incidents between April 2022 to March 2023, an increase of just over nine per cent from last year.

A further 68 members of the public were killed following a work-related incident in 2022/23, a decrease of 20 from last year.

The data represents a “long-term downward trend” in the rate of fatal injuries to workers.

The industries with the highest deaths were construction (45), agriculture, forestry, and fishing (21), manufacturing (15), and transportation and storage (15). Agriculture, forestry, and fishing has the highest rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers of all the main industrial sectors followed by waste and recycling.

Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Chief Executive Sarah Albon said: “Any loss of life in the workplace is a tragedy. While these figures show Great Britain is one of the safest countries in the world to work, safety must continue to be at the top of everyone’s agenda.”

Falls from Height Most Common Cause of Fatal Injuries

Falling from height remains the most common cause of fatal injury at work, followed by being struck by a moving object and being struck by a moving vehicle.

Picture: a graph showing the most common types of fatal accidents for workers in 2022-23 in order: falls from height, struck by a moving object, struck by a moving vehicle, trapped by something collapsing/overturning and contact with moving machinery. Image Credit: HSE

Mesothelioma and Asbestos Fatality Figures for 2022/23

HSE has also published the annual figures for Mesothelioma, a cancer that can be caused by past exposure to asbestos. The figures show 2,268 people died from the disease in 2021. This is a fall of 302 compared with the 2,570 deaths in 2020 and lower than the average of 2,520 deaths per year over the period 2012-2019.

Picture: a photograph of an orange wall with a fire escape sign mounted onto it. Image Credit: Unsplash

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 11 July 2023

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