Work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain
Important note
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the government’s response has impacted recent trends in health and safety statistics published by HSE, including fatal injury statistics. Further details can be found in our report on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on health and safety statistics.
123 workers killed in work-related accidents in 2021/22 (RIDDOR)
Fatal injuries to workers by main industry, 2021/22
A pie chart showing amount of fatal injuries to workers divided by industry sector
| Main industry | Number of fatal injuries |
|---|---|
| Construction | 30 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 22 |
| Manufacturing | 22 |
| Transport and storage | 16 |
| Admin and support services | 12 |
| Wholesale, retail, motor repair; Accommodation and food | 11 |
| Waste and recycling | 1 |
| Other | 9 |
Fatal injuries to workers by age, 2021/22
A pie chart showing amount of fatal injuries to workers divided by age
| Category | 2021/22 |
|---|---|
| Aged 60 plus | 29 |
| Aged 16-59 | 93 |
| Age not known | 1 |
Main kinds of fatal accident for workers, 2021/22
Number of fatal injury to workers separated by types of incident
| Type of incident | Number of fatal injuries |
|---|---|
| Falls from a height | 29 |
| Struck by moving vehicle | 23 |
| Struck by moving object | 18 |
| Contact with moving machinery | 15 |
| Trapped by something collapsing/ overturning | 14 |
Trend statements
Over the long-term, there has been a downward trend in the rate of fatal injuries to workers, though in the recent years prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate had been broadly flat. In both 2020/21 and 2021/22 the rate remains broadly in line with pre-pandemic levels.
Rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers
| Year | Rate (per 100,000 workers) |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 2.1 |
| 1982 | 2.3 |
| 1983 | 2.3 |
| 1984 | 2.1 |
| 1985 | 2 |
| 1986/87 | 1.7 |
| 1987/88 | 1.9 |
| 1988/89 | 2.4 |
| 1989/90 | 1.9 |
| 1990/91 | 1.7 |
| 1991/92 | 1.5 |
| 1992/93 | 1.4 |
| 1993/94 | 1.3 |
| 1994/95 | 1.1 |
| 1995/96 | 1.1 |
| 1996/97 | 1.1 |
| 1997/98 | 1 |
| 1998/99 | 0.9 |
| 1999/00 | 0.8 |
| 2000/01 | 1.1 |
| 2001/02 | 0.9 |
| 2002/03 | 0.8 |
| 2003/04 | 0.8 |
| 2004/05 | 0.78 |
| 2005/06 | 0.75 |
| 2006/07 | 0.84 |
| 2007/08 | 0.79 |
| 2008/09 | 0.60 |
| 2009/10 | 0.50 |
| 2010/11 | 0.60 |
| 2011/12 | 0.58 |
| 2012/13 | 0.5 |
| 2013/14 | 0.45 |
| 2014/15 | 0.46 |
| 2015/16 | 0.47 |
| 2016/17 | 0.42 |
| 2017/18 | 0.44 |
| 2018/19 | 0.46 |
| 2019/20 | 0.34 |
| 2020/21 | 0.45 |
| 2021/22 | 0.38 |
80 members of the public were killed due to work-related accidents in 2021/22
Excludes deaths to 'patients and service users' in the healthcare and adult social care sectors in England.
Data source: RIDDOR: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. Figures for 2021/22 are published as provisional at this stage and will be finalised July 2023.