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Construction deaths fall by 25%
Neil Gerrard Associate editor
Image: Dreamstime/Picudio
The number of deaths in the construction sector fell by 25% to 30 in 2021/22, from 40 the previous year.
Figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) up to March 2022 showed that the five-year average for fatal injuries in the sector is 36.
While construction had the highest number of deaths of any sector in 2021/22, the rate of fatal injuries was less then agriculture, forestry and fishing because fewer people work in those industries. However, construction’s rate of data injury is still around four times as high as the average rate across all industries.
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Of those killed during construction work in 2021/22, 64% were employed and 36% were self-employed.
The rate of fatal injuries for employees in construction per 100,000 in 2017/18-21/22 was 1.73. For the self-employed it was 1.49.
Mesothelioma deaths
The HSE figures also showed that 2,544 people died from mesothelioma in 2020. Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by past exposure to asbestos. This is in line with the average of 2,523 deaths over the previous eight years. Current mesothelioma deaths reflect exposure to asbestos that mainly occurred before the 1980s. Annual deaths are due to fall over the next decade.
HSE’s chief executive Sarah Albon said: “While Great Britain is one of the safest countries in the world to work, today’s figures show we must continue to ensure safety remains a priority. Every loss of life is a tragedy, and we are committed to making workplaces safer and holding employers to account for their actions, as part of our mission to protect people and places.”
The January/February 2026 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
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CM, in partnership with IPAF, has launched a new survey to explore the industry’s views and experiences with powered access machines on construction projects.
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