One of the most difficult types of case we deal with in our personal injury team are workplace fatalities. These claims arise when an employee suffers the loss of their life as a result of a work-related incident caused by their employer’s negligence. These cases are extremely saddening as no-one should ever go to work and not return home to their families.
What are the statistics on workplace fatalities?
- The Health and Safety Executive, otherwise known as HSE, have released their annual data covering the period from April 2024 to March 2025. Within this period, 124 workers lost their lives due to work-related incidents in Great Britain This is a decrease of 14 fatalities from the previous year.
- A further 92 members of the public lost their lives in work related incidents, which is a surprising statistic.
Which industries have the highest number of fatalities
- Construction (35 fatalities)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing (23 fatalities)
- Transportation and storage (15 fatalities)
- Administration and support services (13 fatalities)
It is important to highlight that:
- male workers account for the vast majority of fatalities, with 95% of all fatalities in 2023/24 being male; a similar proportion to previous years.
- Workers aged 60 and over accounted for around 40% of the fatalities in 2024/2025
What are the main causes of fatalities
- Falls from height continue to be the leading cause of fatal injuries (35 fatalities)
- Being struck by a moving object (18 fatalities)
- Being trapped by something collapsing or overturning (17 fatalities)
- Being struck by moving vehicle (14 fatalities)
- Contact with moving machinery (13 fatalities)
Fatality statistics compared to previous years
- The number of fatalities is broadly in line with pre-pandemic levels and significantly lower than figures from 20 years ago (223 fatalities in 2004/2005) and 40 years ago (495 fatalities in 1981).
- The above figures relate to work-related accidents only and do not include any fatalities arising from occupational diseases and/or occupational exposure.
It is positive to see that workplace fatalities have decreased over the years but there is still more to be done within businesses, particularly in the construction, agricultural and driving industries, to protect employees from the risk of not returning to their families at the end of their working day.
It is important to note that if someone has suffered from a workplace fatality claim then compensation can be recovered for various losses which can include bereavement losses, financial dependency, loss of income, funeral expenses, pension loss and any pain, suffering and loss of amenity.
If you know someone who has been involved in a workplace fatality or have been injured in an accident at work and would like some advice on whether a claim can be made then, please contact our specialist serious injury team at Stephensons on 0161 696 6235.
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