RoSPA’s research features prominently in a recent article on the rising number of deaths in the construction industry over the past 10 years, published in Health and Safety International magazine.

Highlighting new statistics from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), the article showed that the rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers in construction has increased by 78.68% since 2018/19.

In contrast, the total rate of fatal injuries to all workers decreased by -8.7%, meaning fatalities in construction made up 37% of overall worker fatality figures for 2023/24. 
 
In addition, self-employed workers and contractors in construction are much more likely to suffer a fatal injury. Reasons for this disparity may include the fact self-employed workers often work alone, could have had less safety training and may have purchased unsafe or substandard tools and equipment.
 
Putting these worrying trends into a wider economic context, findings in RoSPA’s Safer Lives, Stronger Nation report revealed that work-related accidents in particular led to 3.7 million lost working days in 2022/3, and resulted in a combined cost of £7.7bn to the UK. 
 
Noting RoSPA’s warnings about "complacency" when it comes to tackling persistent issues around health and safety, as well as the impact of severe budget cuts on the HSE’s ability to enforce health and safety legislation and protect workers, the article concludes with our call for the UK government to address "the ticking timebomb of workplace injury and ill-health by raising its investment in the HSE so it can effectively protect lives, livelihoods, and Britain’s businesses" as a core part of a National Accident Prevention Strategy.

Read the article here