We've raided the dusty libraries of the Health & Safety Executive, International Labor Organization, and the Labour Force Survey to pull together all the key statistics for health & safety in the United Kingdom, for 2024.
All the key information has been compiled and lovingly crafted into an infographic, so you can easily see the stats that matter, without trawling through reports to get to the good stuff.
You can also view the 2023 version here.
First of all, let's take a look at the most important statistic - fatalities. The U.K has a relatively low fatality rate in the workplace, due to extensive guidance from the HSE and a well-informed health & safety community/profession that take their work seriously.
In 2023/24, there were 138 workers killed in work-related accidents (RIDDOR)*. This represents an increase of 3 fatalities from 2022/23. A slight increase year on year but not as much of an increase from 2021/22 to 2022/23, which saw an increase of 12 fatalities.
The bar graph below breaks down the fatalities by industry:
Construction continues to be the highest death per industry in 2024, followed by agriculture, forestry and fishery. The top 3 places are the same as they were in 2023.
89 deaths were people in the age group 16-59, with 45 fatalities attributed to the over 60 age group, while 4 ages are classified as unknown.
The bar graph below breaks down the fatalities by accident type:
The most common fatal accident types in the UK in 2024 continue to be falls from height, struck by moving object and struck by moving vehicle, same as the previous year. Between them they account for around 70% of the fatal injuries to workers in the UK.
This is an increase of 19 deaths from the previous year.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), approximately 2.9 million workers die each year due to work-related causes worldwide. This estimate includes:
In addition to these fatalities, hundreds of millions of workers suffer from non-fatal injuries or illnesses each year, highlighting the immense need for improved workplace safety and health measures globally.
604,000 UK Workers sustained a non-fatal injury according to self-reports from the Labour Force Survey in 2023/24 (LFS). This is an increase of 43,000 workplace accidents on the previous year.
61,663 Employee work-related non-fatal injuries reported by employers under RIDDOR in 2023/24.
1.7 million working people suffering from a work-related illness, of which:
The bar graph below breaks down the non-fatal injuries by accident type:
A staggering 33.7 million working days lost (estimated) due to work-related ill health and non-fatal workplace injuries in 2024 in the UK alone (LFS). This represents a decrease from the previous year by 1.5 million working days lost.
The pie chart below breaks down the number of days lost each year as an average of each instance:
Stress, depression or anxiety account for an average of 21.1 days off as an average instance, this has increased 1.5 days absence per instance in 2023, highlighting the importance for employers to focus on mental health as much as physical health. On average, each person suffering took around 16.5 days off work.
Stress, depression or anxiety and musculoskeletal disorders accounted for the majority of days lost due to work-related ill health in 2024, 16.4 million and 7.8 million respectively.
With such a high number of estimated days absence due to work-related ill health and non-fatal workplace injuries, you'd be right in thinking that the cost to the UK is also very high.
£21.6 billion is the figure attributed to annual costs of work-related injury and ill health in 2024, an increase of £2.8 billion from 2023.
The bar chart below breaks down the cost associated to days lost each year:
Of the £21.6 billion cost to the UK economy, £3.9 billion is picked up by employers, £4.9 billion by the government and £12.6 billion is absorbed by the taxpayer. Focusing on health & safety in the workplace is of massive benefit to all concerned; physically, mentally and financially.
Actually, the accident rate per 100,000 workers in the UK is very low. Only Germany have a lower accident rate in the EU.
The UK consistently has one of the lowest rates of fatal injury across Europe. Compared to other large European economies, the 2018 UK fatal injury rate was a similar order as Germany, and lower than France, Spain, Italy, Poland, and the EU-27 average.
In 2020, the UK rates of nonfatal work-related injuries and work-related ill health resulting in time off work, compared favourably with many European countries. The EU-27 average includes the 27 countries in the European Union as of 2020 and thus excludes the United Kingdom.
776,000 workers are suffering from work related stress, depression or anxiety (new or long-standing) in 2024. 16.4 million working days lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2024. 300,000 workers are suffering from a new case of work-related stress,depression or anxiety in 2024.
Public admin/defence, human health, social work and education all have higher than average instances of work leave due to stress, depression or anxiety.
In the recent years prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of self-reported work related stress, depression or anxiety had shown signs of increasing. The current rate is higher than the 2018/19 pre-coronavirus levels.
Working days lost per worker due to self-reported work related stress, depression or anxiety shows no clear trend. In 2021/22, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic were found to be a major contributory factor to work related stress.
Estimates of work-related stress, depression or anxiety based on self-reports from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
The year-on-year trends in the UK’s workplace health and safety statistics reveal a mixed picture of progress and challenges. On the one hand, the slight increase in workplace fatalities—from 135 in 2022/23 to 138 in 2023/24—highlights the need for ongoing vigilance, particularly in high-risk industries such as construction and agriculture. Encouragingly, this rise is smaller than the previous year’s increase, suggesting some stability in fatality trends. Similarly, while non-fatal injuries have risen by 43,000 compared to last year, the rate remains consistent with pre-pandemic levels, indicating that workplace practices may be regaining balance post-COVID disruptions.
Mental health remains a critical focus area, with 776,000 workers affected by stress, depression, or anxiety—a figure that continues to challenge employers across all sectors. Notably, stress-related absences have risen, both in number and average duration, underscoring the growing importance of mental health initiatives in the workplace.
On a more positive note, there has been a 1.5-million-day reduction in working days lost compared to last year, showing progress in mitigating the impact of injuries and ill health. However, the financial burden has risen sharply, with the overall cost of workplace injuries and illnesses increasing by £2.8 billion year-on-year.
The UK continues to outperform much of Europe in terms of fatal accident rates, reaffirming its position as a leader in workplace safety. Nonetheless, these statistics serve as a reminder that health and safety is an evolving challenge. While strides have been made, the rising costs and persistent stress-related issues signal that there is still significant work to be done to ensure healthier, safer workplaces for all.
Please feel free to share the Health & Safety Statistics UK - 2024 infographic, but give credit to spacebands when doing so and link back to the spacebands website - www.spacebands.com.
*RIDDOR: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. Figures for 2022/23 are published as provisional at this stage and will be finalised July 2024.
