HSE Health and Safety Statistics 2025

The newly published HSE statistics for 2025 provide a detailed picture of the risks facing workers across Great Britain and the scale of the challenge organisations must collectively address.

This year’s data shows a continued rise in work-related ill health, persistently high levels of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), and preventable injuries that still disrupt lives, projects and productivity. For high-risk sectors such as construction, manufacturing and the public sector, the statistics offer a clear roadmap for where targeted interventions can deliver the greatest impact.

The UK continues to compare favourably with EU-27 countries for fatal and non-fatal injury rates. However, persistently high levels of stress, MSDs and work-related ill health demonstrate that significant challenges remain.

Workplace Injuries: 680,000 Workers Injured in 2024/25

Workplace injuries continue to pose a significant challenge, impacting individuals, productivity and operational continuity. In 2024/25, approximately 680,000 workers sustained a non-fatal injury at work.

Even well-managed workplaces remain exposed to everyday risks such as slips, manual handling and contact with moving objects. These incidents cause personal harm, disrupt projects, reduce workforce availability and create administrative burdens for employers.

Despite long-term improvements, injuries remain a major issue:

• 680,000 non-fatal injuries;

• 124 worker fatalities;

• 59,219 RIDDOR-reportable injuries; and

• 4.4 million working days lost

What’s Causing These Injuries?

Employer RIDDOR reports identify the most common causes:

• Handling, lifting or carrying — 30%;

• Slips, trips and falls on the same level — 17%;

• Struck by a moving object — 10%;

• Acts of violence — 10%; and

• Falls from height — 8%.

Construction organisations face ongoing fall risks and lifting operations, while manufacturing businesses manage machinery hazards and manual handling demands. In the public sector, risks include slips and trips in public spaces, violence or aggression, and ergonomic strain among frontline and office-based staff.

Consistent safety standards remain essential across all these environments.

High-Risk Industries

Sectors with statistically higher injury rates include:

• Accommodation and food services;

• Construction;

• Transportation and storage; and

• Wholesale and retail.

Industries with above-average ill health rates include:

• Public administration and defence;

• Human health and social work; and

• Education.

Work-Related Ill Health: 1.9 Million Workers Affected

The latest figures show 1.9 million workers suffering from work-related ill health, remaining well above pre-pandemic levels.

Stress, Depression and Anxiety: The Leading Causes

• 964,000 workers affected;

• 409,000 new cases in 2024/25; and

• 22.1 million working days lost.

Rates are significantly higher than the all-industry average in public administration, education, and human health and social care.

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs): 511,000 Workers Affected

• 173,000 new cases; and

• 7.1 million working days lost.

Most commonly affected areas: back (43%) and upper limbs/neck (41%)

Occupational Health Risks: Long-Term Trends

The HSE data shows that:

• Mesothelioma deaths are projected to decline gradually by 2040;

• Occupational asthma rates remain broadly stable; and

• Lung disease accounts for the majority of long-latency occupational deaths.

This highlights the continued need for effective monitoring, worker training, exposure control and robust asbestos management.

What This Means for Organisations

The 2025 HSE statistics make one thing clear: preventable injuries and work-related ill health continue to create major operational, financial and human costs across UK industries.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers must protect workers “so far as is reasonably practicable.” The latest data highlights where improvements will have the greatest impact.

• Wellbeing and mental health: Stress, depression and anxiety remain leading causes of ill health, requiring proactive risk assessment and control under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999;

• Manual handling and ergonomics: MSDs drive millions of lost working days, reinforcing obligations under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992;

• Hazardous substances: Robust COSHH systems remain critical to preventing both acute and long-term harm; and

• Slips, trips and falls: Still among the most common RIDDOR-reported injuries, requiring effective housekeeping, safe access routes and site management under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

Organisations that embed these controls within a structured risk management framework—covering planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review—are best placed to meet legal duties, protect workers and reduce avoidable harm.

Education Data

In Education:

• There were an estimated 178,000 workers suffering from work-related ill health (new or long-standing); and

• 53% were stress, depression or anxiety (Source: LFS, average estimate over 2022/23-2024/25.)

Education compared with other selected industries

• Around 4.9% of workers in the sector suffered from work-related ill health (new or long-standing); and

• This rate is statistically significantly higher than that for workers across all industries (4.2%.)

Musculoskeletal disorders

In Education:

• There were an estimated 36,000 workers suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder (new or long-standing), 21% of all ill health in this sector. (Source: LFS, average estimate over 2022/23-2024/25)

Education compared with other selected industries

• Around 1.0% of workers in the sector suffered from work-related musculoskeletal disorders (new or long-standing); and

• This rate is not statistically different than that for workers across all industries (1.2%.)

Stress, depression or anxiety

In Education:

• There were an estimated 94,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety (new or long-standing), 53% of all ill health in this sector. (Source: LFS, average estimate over 2022/23-2024/25)

Education compared with other selected industries

• •Around 2.6% of workers in the sector suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety (new or long-standing); and

• This rate is statistically significantly higher than that for workers across all industries (2.0%.)

Fatal injuries

In Education:

• There was 1 fatal injury to a worker in 2024/25;

• This is in comparison with the annual average number of 0 fatalities for 2020/21-2024/25;

• There were 5 fatal injuries to members of the public in 2024/25; and

• This is in comparison with the annual average of 3 fatalities over the five-year period 2020/21-2024/25p. (Source: RIDDOR, 2024/25)

Non-fatal injuries

(The Labour Force Survey is HSE’s preferred data source for non-fatal injuries.)

In Education:

• There were an estimated 62,000 workers who reported sustaining a workplace non-fatal injury; and

• 11% of these workplace non-fatal injuries resulted in absence from work of over 7 days. (Source: LFS, average estimate over 2022/23-2024/25.)

Education compared with other selected industries

• Around 1.8% of workers in the sector sustained a workplace non-fatal injury; and

• This rate is not statistically different than that for workers across all industries (1.8%.)

Read the full report here:

HSE: Key figures for Great Britain 2024 to 2025