When I first started working in health and safety, I expected to see gradual improvements across all industries as awareness campaigns grew and regulations tightened.
However, decades later, construction still accounts for 37% of all workplace fatalities in the UK (HSE, 2024) and remains the most dangerous sector for workers (Page, 2024; Martins, 2025). This reality demands that we ask why construction is still the deadliest industry after decades of safety campaigns.
Construction's Deadly Record
In 2023/24, 138 workers lost their lives in work-related accidents in the UK. Of those, 51 were construction workers—more than double the fatalities in agriculture, the second deadliest sector (HSE, 2024; Statista, 2024).
Despite years of guidance and regulation, construction deaths are on the rise. Worker fatalities in construction have increased by 12% since 2021/22, and the rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers has risen by nearly 79% since 2018/19. During that same period, the overall rate across all industries decreased by 8.7% (Hse.gov.uk, 2023; Martins, 2025; Rospa.com, 2024).
Beyond the incalculable human cost, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) revealed that work-related accidents led to 3.7 million lost working days in 2022/23, costing the UK economy £7.7 billion.
For construction companies, accidents translate to project delays, increased insurance premiums, legal costs, reputational damage, and loss of skilled workers.
Why the Construction Industry Remains So Deadly
1. Falls from height is the industry's biggest killer
Falls from height accounted for 36% of workplace fatalities in 2023/24, which is about 51 deaths —making them the leading cause of fatalities (HSE, 2024; Occupational Safety and Health Management in the Construction Sector, 2021). Construction workers are four times more likely to die from a fall than any other cause (Martins, 2025).
The inherent risks are unavoidable: scaffolding at high elevations, roofing on fragile surfaces, ladder misuse under pressure, and work on unsecured edges. Combined with tight deadlines and high proportions of casual workers, it creates a perfect storm for accidents.
In my training sessions, I’ve witnessed workers downplay these risks, treating safety harnesses as inconveniences rather than necessities. But skipping those steps to save time? It’s costing lives.
2. Workers at smaller sites are at greater risk
HSE data shows self-employed construction workers are more than twice as likely to die on the job as those employed by companies.
In 2023/24, their fatality rate was 3.62 per 100,000, up from 2018/19 (HSE, 2024). This is partly because they often miss out on formal training, supervision, and quality equipment.
On larger construction sites I work, workers must complete safety inductions and sometimes random drug and alcohol tests, especially those operating heavy machinery. They are trained on how to use specific equipment and how to do specific tasks.
These sites have strict safety protocols because they don’t want accidents that could damage their reputation. In contrast, smaller projects, especially those run by self-employed contractors, often lack the same level of scrutiny, which increases the risk for these workers.
The Ladder Association’s 2024 report found that self-employed workers who buy telescopic ladders from unregulated online sellers are twice as likely to have accidents as those who buy from trusted sources.
To this, I would say that if safety training and enforcement aren’t reaching self-employed workers, we need a different approach.
Perhaps mandatory safety training for all contractors or tighter regulations on equipment quality, especially for those purchasing their own gear, is needed.
3. A struggling regulatory body
One of the most pressing issues is the decline in regulatory oversight.
The HSE’s budget has been slashed by 45% in real terms since 2009/10 (British Safety Council, 2023), severely limiting its ability to enforce safety laws, conduct inspections, and investigate incidents. With fewer resources, safety breaches go unnoticed, and unsafe practices persist.
RoSPA warns that people in the UK are “substantially” more likely to have a serious accident today than 20 years ago, calling workplace injuries a “ticking timebomb” and urging increased investment in the HSE (RoSPA, 2024).
Accidental deaths are at an all-time high, and workplace injury is becoming a national crisis. Without proper investment, the HSE can’t fulfill its mandate—and workers pay the price.
What Needs to Change?
To turn this around, I believe we need action in these critical areas.
Integrate workers into the safety culture. They need access to the same training, support, and resources as employed workers. Greater collaboration between contractors and subcontractors is essential to ensure safety isn’t compromised in pursuit of cost savings.
Tackle the culture of complacency head-on. Workers and employers alike must always take safety more seriously. Experienced workers often develop a dangerous false sense of security.
Safety must be positioned not as a bureaucratic requirement but as a fundamental aspect of professionalism. It’s easy for safety to become an afterthought when there’s pressure to meet deadlines or finish projects on time, but this mentality needs to change.
Focus resources on preventing falls from height. As the leading cause of death, this requires targeted intervention through specialised training, equipment improvements, and stricter enforcement of regulations.
Restore the HSE’s capacity. Increased funding would enable more inspections, better enforcement, and ultimately fewer fatalities. The regulator needs resources proportionate to the scale of the problem.
Safety is everyone’s responsibility
Through my training programs at Traininhealthandsafety, I see how good training transforms attitudes.
But solving this crisis isn’t something one organisation or one inspector can do alone. It’s a collective effort—employers, workers, trainers, regulators, and policymakers all have a role to play.
The 37% figure should serve as both a wake-up call and a call to action. We can – and must – do better.
I tell business owners that safety isn’t just a legal obligation but a moral one. Invest in your workers. Invest in training and equipment, and foster a culture where workers feel empowered to speak up about unsafe conditions.
And to the workers reading this: Don’t cut corners. Take training seriously. Use the gear. Ask questions. Your life is worth more than any project timeline.
If we want to stop having this same conversation year after year, we need to act now.
What about you? Have you noticed these trends in your workplace? Do you feel safety is improving—or getting worse? Share your experience in the comments.
Are you working in construction and concerned about safety standards? I offer comprehensive IOSH, and CHAS certification training to help you and your team stay safe on site. Contact me at +44(0)20 8059 3633 or email [email protected] to learn more.
