The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released its annual statistics on work-related ill health and injuries for Great Britain during 2023/24.

Overview of Ill Health and Injury

• An estimated 1.7 million workers were suffering from work-related ill health.
• 138 workers died as a result of workplace injuries.
• There were 604,000 self-reported non-fatal injuries, according to the Labour Force Survey.
• 61,663 non-fatal injuries were reported under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations).

Falls from Height Remain Leading Cause of Fatal Injuries

• 50 workers died due to falls from height, accounting for over a third of all workplace fatalities.
• This figure represents a 22% increase on the previous year and is 35% above the five-year average.
• 52% of these fatalities involved self-employed workers.
• Deaths from falls among self-employed workers rose by 44%—from 18 in 2022/23 to 26 in 2023/24.

Construction Industry Records Highest Number of Fatal Injuries

• 51 construction workers died, up from 47 in the previous year.
• 31 of these deaths were due to falls from height.
• The agriculture, forestry and fishing sector reported 23 deaths, followed by 16 deaths in manufacturing.

Head Injuries the Most Common Cause of Fatalities

• 44 workers died from head injuries in 2023/24, accounting for 32% of all fatalities.
• This is an increase from 38 in 2022/23 and 24% above the five-year average.

Highest Number of Non-Fatal Head Injuries on Record

• 3,562 non-fatal head injuries were reported—the highest in the past decade.
• The previous highest was in 2018/19 with 3,477.
• This increase could be due to either a genuine rise in incidents or improved reporting practices.

Occupational Lung Disease Still a Major Concern

• An estimated 12,000 deaths annually are linked to past workplace exposure.
• In 2022, there were 2,257 mesothelioma deaths, with a similar number of asbestos-related lung cancer deaths.
• The Labour Force Survey estimates around 20,000 new cases of work-related breathing or lung issues annually, based on a three-year average.

For those responsible for workplace safety, it's crucial to:

• Understand and apply control measures for work at height
• Select the correct type of safety helmet
• Choose and use suitable respiratory protective equipment (RPE)

Key points:

• 138 workplace fatalities were recorded in 2023/24.
• Falls from height caused more than one-third of these fatalities.
• Construction had the highest number of fatal injuries (51 deaths).
• Head injuries were the most common fatal injury.
• Non-fatal head injuries reached a 10-year high.
• Around 12,000 deaths annually are linked to past workplace exposure, including lung diseases and asbestos-related conditions.

Source: HSE Statistics