The 7 Most Dangerous Industries in the UK

Using the latest data from the government agency Health and Safety Executive (HSE) we have ranked the UK’s most dangerous industries, to share insight into the factors influencing a high rate of injuries.

7. WASTE
The waste industry accounted for three fatal injuries to workers in 2020/21. The causes of these fatalities were being struck by a moving vehicle, having contact with moving machinery, and being struck by a moving or falling object.

6. TRANSPORT AND STORAGE
The rate of death increases in the transport and storage industry – 10 workers were killed in 2020/21. Unsurprisingly, the leading cause of death was being struck by a moving vehicle, followed by falling from a height.

5. ADMIN AND SUPPORT SERVICES
An estimated 65,000 workers in public administration and defence suffered from a work-related illness that was caused or worsened by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were a further 70,000 work-related cases of stress, depression, or anxiety – or 3.1% of the workforce.

4. WHOLESALE, RETAIL, MOTOR REPAIR, ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD
Accommodation and food services see a rate of 2,460 injuries per 100,000 workers. The wholesale and retail trade sectors report a slightly lower figure of 2,100. Both figures dwarf the all-industry average, which stands at 1,680.

3. MANUFACTURING
The manufacturing sector experienced 20 fatal injuries to its workers – a five-year high. Fatalities were predominantly caused by falling from a height, closely followed by being struck by a moving object, and contact with moving machinery rounded off the top three.

2. AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHING
The industry saw 34 fatal injuries to its workers in 2020/21, a sizeable increase on the annual average of 28 in the four years prior. Of these, 30% were caused by being struck by a moving vehicle, and 16% by an animal.

1. CONSTRUCTION
The construction industry sees the highest rate of worker fatalities in the UK, with 39 deaths in the last year. Falling from a height caused half of these fatalities. The fatal injury rate in the construction industry is around four times that of the all-industry rate.

Organisations must endeavour to better protect their workers, revisiting the practices in place to train employees to work safely and taking steps to introduce safety procedures and technological solutions to better fulfil their DOC requirements. Ensuring hazards are clearly defined, providing reliable and clear communication methods, implementing extensive safety measures, and recognising of the dangers of work-related stress, depression and anxiety should all be a top priority for organisations.

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