The most dangerous jobs in the UK
Which industries, jobs and regions carry the highest risk of being killed or injured at work, based on the latest official HSE statistics for Great Britain.
Published 1 October 2026. Figures from HSE releases of November 2025 and July 2026.
126
workers killed at work
2025/26, provisional
680,000
workers injured at work (self-reported)
2024/25
4.4m
working days lost to injury
2024/25
£6.5bn
yearly cost of workplace injuries
2023/24
Key findings
- Agriculture is the most dangerous industry, with a fatal injury rate about 21 times the average for all industries. Waste and recycling is about 10 times the average.
- Construction has the most deaths: 186 workers killed in five years, 29% of all worker deaths.
- Falls from height are the biggest killer, causing 28% of worker deaths over five years.
- Slips and trips cause the most injuries: 30% of employee injuries reported under RIDDOR, followed by handling and lifting at 17%.
- Kitchen and hospitality workers have the highest injury rate of any occupation group, more than 4 times the average.
- Scotland and Wales have the highest fatal injury rates, and London the lowest, though this partly reflects the mix of industries in each area.
The most dangerous industries in the UK
The fairest way to compare industries is the fatal injury rate: deaths per 100,000 workers. Counts alone favour big industries. HSE recommends using five years of data because the yearly numbers are small and vary a lot.
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing8.08
113 deaths in five years, 22 in 2025/26
- Waste and recycling4.03
23 deaths in five years, 6 in 2025/26
- Construction1.78
186 deaths in five years, 25 in 2025/26
- Mining and quarrying1.23
7 deaths in five years, 2 in 2025/26
- Transportation and storage0.94
73 deaths in five years, 15 in 2025/26
- Administrative and support services0.72
53 deaths in five years, 9 in 2025/26
- Manufacturing0.63
82 deaths in five years, 18 in 2025/26
- Retail, wholesale, accommodation and food0.23
61 deaths in five years, 11 in 2025/26
- Arts, entertainment and other services0.21
21 deaths in five years, 6 in 2025/26
- Public administration, education, health and social work0.03
18 deaths in five years, 7 in 2025/26
Source: HSE, fatal injuries in Great Britain (RIDFATAL), July 2026
Average for all industries: 0.39 deaths per 100,000 workers. Waste and recycling is a sub-sector of water supply, sewerage and waste management. Agriculture excludes sea fishing.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Farming has by far the highest fatal injury rate. The work combines vehicles, heavy machinery, livestock and work at height, and is often done alone or by self-employed workers, far from help.
Construction
Construction has the largest number of deaths of any industry, mainly from falls from height. It also has a high rate of non-fatal injuries. See our guide for construction accident reporting.
Waste and recycling
Waste and recycling workers face moving vehicles, heavy machinery and manual handling every day, giving the sector a fatal injury rate about 10 times the average.
Jobs with the highest injury rates
HSE does not publish deaths by occupation, but its Labour Force Survey estimates how often workers in each type of job are injured. These are self-reported injuries, including minor ones, averaged over three years.
- Food preparation and hospitality trades7,660
- Textiles, printing and other skilled trades6,370
- Protective service occupations5,850
- Vehicle trades5,490
- Metal machining, fitting and instrument making5,360
- Elementary storage occupations4,860
- Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades4,190
- Elementary trades3,950
- Skilled construction and building trades3,790
- Caring personal services3,770
Source: HSE, Labour Force Survey injuries by occupation (LFSINJOCC)
Average for all occupations: 1,780 per 100,000 workers. All groups shown are statistically significantly above the average. Survey estimates have wide confidence intervals for smaller groups.
The list is not what most people expect. Food preparation and hospitality trades, such as chefs, cooks, bakers and butchers, top it, ahead of construction trades. Their work involves knives, heat, wet floors and heavy lifting, often at speed. Care workers and storage workers are also well above average. See our pages for hospitality and care homes.
How workers are killed
Falls from height cause more worker deaths than anything else, followed by being struck by a moving vehicle or by a moving or falling object. Together, these three account for 62% of deaths.
- Falls from a height184 (28%)
- Struck by a moving vehicle110 (17%)
- Struck by a moving or falling object108 (17%)
- Trapped by something collapsing or overturning75 (12%)
- Contact with moving machinery52 (8%)
- Contact with electricity29 (4%)
Source: HSE, fatal injuries in Great Britain (RIDFATAL), July 2026
The most common causes of workplace injury
Non-fatal injuries follow a very different pattern. Everyday hazards dominate: slips, trips and falls on the level, and lifting and carrying. Acts of violence account for one in ten reported injuries.
- Slips, trips or falls on the same level18,051 (30%)
- Handling, lifting or carrying10,012 (17%)
- Struck by a moving or falling object6,054 (10%)
- Acts of violence5,900 (10%)
- Falls from a height4,684 (8%)
- Strike against something fixed2,189 (4%)
- Contact with moving machinery2,088 (4%)
Source: HSE, RIDDOR non-fatal injuries by kind of accident (RIDKIND), November 2025
Provisional figures. HSE estimates that employers report only around half of the injuries they should under RIDDOR, so the true numbers are higher. Not sure whether an injury is reportable? Use our free RIDDOR checker.
The most dangerous places to work in the UK
Scotland and Wales have the highest fatal injury rates in Great Britain, and London the lowest. HSE notes these rates are not adjusted for the mix of industries: Scotland and Wales have more farming, forestry and other higher-risk work, while London has more office work.
- Scotland0.67
92 deaths
- Wales0.66
48 deaths
- North West0.49
87 deaths
- South West0.47
70 deaths
- East of England0.42
63 deaths
- East Midlands0.41
48 deaths
- Yorkshire and the Humber0.33
44 deaths
- West Midlands0.33
48 deaths
- South East0.31
72 deaths
- North East0.25
15 deaths
- London0.21
56 deaths
Source: HSE, RIDFATAL Table 5
- North East254
2,720 injuries
- Wales254
3,204 injuries
- East Midlands244
4,965 injuries
- Scotland234
5,686 injuries
- Yorkshire and the Humber232
5,393 injuries
- West Midlands218
5,435 injuries
- North West215
6,783 injuries
- East of England212
5,426 injuries
- South West211
5,163 injuries
- South East186
7,403 injuries
- London158
7,041 injuries
Source: HSE, RIDREG Table 2
What happens when things go wrong
In 2024/25 the HSE completed 246 prosecutions, with a 96% conviction rate and over £33 million in fines, and issued over 4,400 enforcement notices (HSE annual report). These figures cover the HSE only, not local authorities.
Beyond enforcement, workplace injuries cost Great Britain an estimated £6.5 billion a year, including lost output, healthcare and the human cost to injured workers (HSE cost estimates).
What employers can do
- Record every accident and near miss. Patterns in minor incidents are the best warning of a serious one. Start with our free accident book template or near miss form.
- Know what you must report. Read what RIDDOR is and check incidents with the RIDDOR checker.
- Focus on the big causes. Work at height, vehicle movements, slips and trips, and manual handling cause most deaths and injuries.
- Have the right first aid in place. Use the first aider calculator.
Use this data
Journalists, bloggers and safety professionals are welcome to use these charts and findings. Please credit Accident Book and link to this page. The underlying figures are official HSE statistics, published under the Open Government Licence.
Methodology and sources
All figures are for Great Britain and come from official HSE statistics:
- Worker deaths: RIDDOR fatal injury tables, published July 2026. Figures for 2025/26 are provisional and may change slightly when finalised.
- Employee injuries reported by employers: RIDDOR non-fatal injury tables for 2024/25, published November 2025 (provisional).
- Self-reported injuries: Labour Force Survey estimates. Industry and occupation rates are three-year averages for 2022/23 to 2024/25, and are survey estimates with confidence intervals.
- Costs: HSE Costs to Britain estimates, 2023/24, including monetised human costs.
Fatal statistics exclude road traffic accidents and deaths from occupational disease. RIDDOR non-fatal figures cover employees only and are under-reported. Percentages and multiples are our own calculations from HSE figures. HSE publishes updated non-fatal figures each November and fatal figures each July; we will update this page when they are released.
Record accidents before they become statistics
Accident Book gives every site a QR code so staff can report accidents and near misses from their phone in under a minute, with instant alerts and a RIDDOR check. £9.99 per site per month, with a 7-day free trial.
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