Irish Workplace Fatalities See Significant Decline in 2024
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) in Ireland has reported a significant decrease in work-related fatalities for 2024, reaching a record low since its inception in 1989. A total of 33 people lost their lives in work-related incidents in 2024, a reduction of almost a quarter compared to the 43 fatalities recorded in 2023. This brings the fatality rate per 100,000 workers down to 1.2, a substantial drop from 2.7 over the ten-year period from 2015 to 2024.
The construction sector saw a notable 50% reduction in fatalities, decreasing from 10 deaths in 2023 to 5 in 2024. Similarly, the agriculture sector experienced a 40% decrease, with fatalities falling from 20 in 2023 to 12 last year. Despite these improvements, agriculture remains one of the highest-risk industries. Self-employed workers accounted for 18 of the 33 deaths. Vehicle-related incidents (10 fatalities), incidents involving heavy or falling objects (6 fatalities), and falls from heights (5 fatalities) were the leading causes of work-related fatalities in 2024, collectively accounting for 64% of all fatalities. Individuals aged 55 and older represented two-thirds of all fatalities.
Great Britain Faces Rising Work-Related Ill-Health and Stagnant Fatalities
In contrast, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in Great Britain has published its annual summary statistics for 2023/24 and provisional data for 2024/25, revealing a concerning increase in work-related ill-health and a plateau in fatal accident numbers.
An estimated 1.9 million workers suffered from work-related ill health (new or long-standing) in 2024/25, an increase from 1.7 million the previous year and the highest on record. This rate remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. Work-related stress, depression, or anxiety accounted for 52% of all work-related ill health, affecting an estimated 964,000 workers in 2024/25 – a record number. This has led to 22.1 million working days lost, making mental health the single largest contributor to work-related absence.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) affected an estimated 511,000 workers in 2024/25, representing 27% of all work-related ill-health cases. While this is a slight decrease from 547,000 last year, it remains higher than the five-year average, indicating an upward trend.
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Regarding fatal injuries, 138 workers tragically lost their lives in work-related accidents in Great Britain in 2023/24, an increase of two deaths from the previous year. Provisional figures for 2024/25 show 124 worker fatalities, which is 14 fewer than the previous year (138) and notably below the five-year average of 133. However, this figure is broadly consistent with pre-pandemic levels, suggesting a stagnation in progress.
Key sectors disproportionately affected by fatalities in 2023/24 include construction (47 deaths), agriculture, forestry, and fishing (21 fatalities), and manufacturing (18 fatalities). Falls from height remained the leading cause of fatal injury, accounting for 50 deaths (36%) in 2023/24, followed by being struck by a moving vehicle (18%) and being struck by a moving object (14%).
Economic Impact and Call for Proactive Measures
The economic impact of workplace ill-health and injuries remains substantial. In Great Britain, the estimated annual cost of workplace injuries and new cases of work-related ill health reached £22.9 billion in 2023/24. A total of 33.7 million working days were lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury in 2023/24. Of these, 29.6 million days were attributed to ill health, with 16.4 million specifically due to stress, anxiety, and depression.
The Health and Safety Authority in Ireland emphasised that despite the positive trend in fatality reduction, every work-related death is preventable, urging continued vigilance and advance planning in health and safety. Similarly, the HSE in Great Britain highlighted that while workplaces are safer than decades ago, progress in reducing fatalities has slowed. Employers are encouraged to proactively address risks, invest in ongoing training, enforce safety protocols, and continuously assess and improve safety measures.
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