Expert Witness Journal Issue 63 October 2025 - Flipbook - Page 46
What does the Health and
Safety Executive’s 2025 annual
report reveal?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published its annual report on 2 July 2025,
detailing work-related fatalities from 2024/25. The release of the report marks a significant
milestone, as Britain’s national workplace safety regulator celebrates its 50th anniversary this
year. While Great Britain proudly claims its position as one of the safest places to work in the
world, the report reveals that significant challenges remain.
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In this article, we review the HSE’s 2025/26 Business
Plan, which outlines its strategy to combat fatalities in
the years ahead.
joint problems. Mental health also plays a significant
role, with workplace stress resulting in 16.4 million
lost working days annually.
A summary of the report findings
The report presents an ambivalent picture of
workplace safety in Britain. Between March 2024 and
2025, 124 workers lost their lives in work-related
accidents, with male workers accounting for the vast
majority (95%) of fatal injuries. Falls from height continue to be the leading cause of workplace fatalities,
while the construction and agricultural sectors
together account for nearly half (47%) of all fatal injuries by sector.
The financial implications are shocking. New cases of
work-related health problems cost Great Britain
£14.5bn in 2022/2023 alone, encompassing medical
treatment, sick pay and lost productivity that affects
the entire economy.
The role of HSE
The Health and Safety Executive serves as Britain’s
national regulator for workplace health and safety,
with the responsibility of ensuring that risks to people’s health and safety from work activities are controlled and regulated. Its comprehensive approach
involves setting and enforcing safety standards across
various industries, conducting workplace inspections
and providing guidance to employers and workers on
accident and occupational disease prevention.
Particularly concerning is that around 40% of fatal
injuries occurred among self-employed workers,
highlighting vulnerabilities in this growing segment
of the workforce. The report also notes 2,218
mesothelioma deaths in 2023, resulting from historical asbestos exposure. This demonstrates the longterm consequences of chemical workplace hazards,
even since the banning of asbestos in 1985.
When workplace accidents occur, HSE investigators
work to determine the causes and identify whether
safety regulations have been breached. The organisation has the authority to take enforcement action, including issuing improvement notices, prohibition
notices or pursuing criminal prosecutions against employers who fail to meet their legal duties. It also works
to identify emerging risks and develop new safety regulations to protect workers across all economic sectors.
Fifty years of HSE
Despite these tragic losses, the data shows continuous
progress since the Health and Safety at Work Act came
into force in 1974. The number of fatally injured employees has fallen by approximately 85% over this period. However, this improvement may be partly
attributed to changes in the types of work people now
undertake, improved technology and other factors.
As HSE Chief Executive Sarah Albon recently commented: “Great Britain is one of the safest places in
the world to work, but we must remember each of
these deaths represents a tragedy for families, friends
and communities.”
The HSE focuses on the biggest risks, including noise
damage, muscle injuries, asbestos exposure, proper
use of machinery and equipment and falls from
height. Despite fewer cases going to court today, the
HSE still wins 94% of prosecutions, demonstrating
that proper investigation leads to real consequences
for employers who fail to protect their workers.
The broader implications
The human cost of workplace hazards extends far
beyond workplace accidents. Each year, work-related
conditions affect hundreds of thousands of employees and employers. For example, annually, approximately 600,000 people suffer non-fatal injuries in the
workplace, 12,000 lung disease deaths are estimated
as being linked to past exposures at work and over
500,000 people experience work-related muscle and
Legal support for workplace accident clients
If you sustain a workplace injury, specialist legal
support is crucial to help secure the rehabilitation and
treatment you may need both now and in the future.
We specialise in supporting people who have sustained injuries in workplace accidents, which can include cognitive and spinal cord injuries or catastrophic
polytrauma, such as neurological conditions, amputations and serious burns. We work with the best
EXPERT WITNESS JOURNAL
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2025
