Fatal incidents in the UK construction industry have risen by almost 20% over the last five years, according to new data compiled by Herts Tools.
Using construction statistics from Health and Safety Executive reports, the company found 45 fatal injuries were reported in 2022/23 – an increase of 15% on the previous year.
The rate of deaths per 100,000 workers surged by 22% in 2022 compared with the previous year, with the death rate in the construction sector three times higher than in the transportation and storage industry.
Falling from a height is the number one cause of fatal and non-fatal incidents in the construction sector. Being struck by a moving vehicle and being struck by a moving object were the second and third most common fatal accidents for workers.
Stefano Lobban, director at Herts Tools, said: “Although there will always be accidents in the construction industry, we can never stop trying to reduce them. These latest findings show just how far we have to go, with fatalities continuing to rise, despite the UK having some of the most thorough health and safety regulations anywhere.
“Training is key to protecting workers, whether it’s highlighting dangers or teaching workers to make their own risk assessments on site. Then there’s ensuring workers have all the PPE they need, such as helmets, safety goggles and slip-resistant footwear. I hope these findings act as a wake-up call to the industry and we’ll see a reduction in incident numbers next year.”
Phil Beaumont, health and safety consultant, added: “First and foremost it’s important for sites and companies to implement rules, procedures, and policies that people can follow clearly to conduct safe practice at work. Keeping a record of incidents and continuously assessing what went right, what went wrong, what was irrelevant and what more could have been done previously is vital to minimise future accidents at work.
“If a company reports an accident at work amongst one of its workers, depending on the severity of the accident and cause, they should carry out a thorough risk assessment for the returning person/people to ensure they’re capable of doing the tasks they’re assigned which won’t aggravate their recovery. This should also include manual handling and control of substances hazardous to health [COSHH] assessments.
“It’s also worth potentially looking at a buddy system, temporary assignments, reduced hours, and planning a stepped return to work for anyone who has experienced an incident in the industry.”
