The construction industry continues to hold the unwanted title of one of the most dangerous sectors in the UK. New figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) paint a sobering picture: of the 138 work-related fatalities reported across all sectors in 2024, 51 occurred in construction alone.
This is the third consecutive year of rising construction fatalities:
-
2022: 42 deaths
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2023: 47 deaths
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2024: 51 deaths
To put this in wider context:
| Year | Fatalities |
|---|---|
| 2013/2014 | 42 |
| 2014/2015 | 35 |
| 2015/2016 | 43 |
| 2016/2017 | 30 |
| 2017/2018 | 38 |
| 2018/2019 | 30 |
| 2019/2020 | 40 |
| 2020/2021 | 39 |
| 2021/2022 | 42 |
| 2022/2023 | 42 |
| 2023/2024 | 47 |
| 2024/2025 | 51 |
Falls from height continue to be the leading cause, accounting for approximately 50% of all construction fatalities.
But the physical event—the fall—is not the root cause.
The deeper factors that consistently drive these tragic outcomes are:
- Lack of proper supervision
- The prevalence of self-employed workers operating without oversight
- Cost-cutting at the expense of safety
And often, all three factors combine to create the perfect storm.
The cultural challenge
Too many construction sites continue to prioritise programme and budget over safe working practices. In small and medium-sized projects—and in many domestic refurbishments—there remains a dangerous mindset: “We’ve done it this way for years” or “It’s only a quick job.”
This mindset is what drives shortcuts, inadequate planning, and a lack of leadership at site level.
At Compass HSC, we see this daily in our work with developers, small builders, and contractors. A lack of clarity around roles, supervision, and culture is often the biggest contributor to unsafe acts on site.
What needs to change?
- Leadership matters. Site managers and supervisors must be trained and empowered to drive safe behaviour.
- Supervision matters. Self-employed workers must not be left to manage high-risk tasks unsupervised.
- Culture matters. If the priority is “get it done” rather than “get it done safely,” accidents will continue.
Compass HSC can help
Our tailored consultancy services help developers, builders, and contractors strengthen their site culture, improve supervision, and embed a safety-first mindset—not just compliance on paper, but leadership on site.
Whether through site audits, leadership coaching, or hands-on CDM and compliance support, we work with businesses to tackle the real causes behind these statistics.
If you want to be part of the change—and not the next HSE headline—get in touch.
Call Compass HSC today on (01253) 735755 or visit compasshsc.co.uk.