Managing Contractor Risk in Construction: What the Latest HSE Figures Show
Introduction
Managing contractors safely isn’t just a paperwork exercise, it’s a business-critical risk control.Â
Recent official data from the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) shows that construction still faces disproportionately high levels of fatalities, injuries and ill-health compared with the rest of the economy.Â
Despite decades of regulatory focus and industry effort, these risks remain deeply embedded in day-to-day project delivery, especially where contractor work and subcontract systems are involved.
In this article we break down the key findings from the 2024–25 HSE annual statistics, explain what they mean for contract management, and show how modern contractor compliance systems can deliver real reductions in harm and cost.
Construction: A Persistent High-Risk Sector
 Fatal Injuries
According to HSE’s latest annual release:
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A total of 35 workers were fatally injured in the construction sector in 2024/25, making it one of the most dangerous industries in Great Britain.
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Falls from height remain the leading cause of these deaths, accounting for more than half of construction fatalities.
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The industry fatal injury rate in construction significantly exceeds the all-industry average, highlighting that those working on construction sites face much greater danger than workers elsewhere.
Ill-Health and Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
Ill-health is a hidden but massive cost for the sector:
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An estimated 79,000 construction workers experienced work-related ill health over the recent reporting period (2022/23–2024/25).
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More than half of these cases (about 53%) were musculoskeletal disorders, often due to manual handling, awkward postures, and repetitive tasks.
Economic Cost
The total cost of workplace injury and ill-health in construction is estimated at around £1.4 billion each year, nearly 6% of all work-related injury and ill-health costs in Great Britain
This combination of higher fatalities, ongoing ill-health and huge economic impact makes contractor compliance a top priority for businesses that hire and manage third-party labour forces.
Contractor Compliance
Why its a Risk Multiplier
Contractors and subcontractors are frequently:
- Managed across multiple sites and layers of supply chains,
- Exempt from core company health and safety systems,
- Less likely to be continuously supervised,
- Exposed to high-risk activities such as working at height, traffic movement around sites, and heavy manual handling.
Without rigorous vetting, monitoring and control, gaps in risk assessment, competency documentation, and pre-work checks create fertile ground for both predictable and unpredictable harm.
What the Numbers Tell Us
A Distilled Snapshot
HSE construction statistics 2024/25:
| Category | Statistic | Primary Source |
|---|---|---|
| Worker fatalities in construction | 35 (2024/25) | HSE (2025) Construction statistics |
| Leading cause of fatalities | Falls from height (largest proportion of deaths) | HSE (2025) Annual fatal injury statistics |
| Estimated cases of work-related ill health | ~79,000 construction workers (3-year average) | HSE (2025) Construction statistics |
| Proportion of ill health caused by MSDs | ~53% musculoskeletal disorders | HSE (2025) Work-related ill health data |
| Annual economic cost to construction | ~£1.4 billion | HSE (2025) Costs to Great Britain report |
These figures show the very real human and financial consequences of non-compliance. Its why reactive, ad-hoc contractor management and permit to work simply isn’t good enough anymore.
Effective Contractor Compliance Software
What it Looks Like
Strong contractor management systems help you:
✔ Ensure contractor competence before engagement
✔ Maintain auditable health & safety documentation
✔ Monitor ongoing compliance and corrective actions
✔ Reduce gaps between client requirements and contractor practice
In an environment where risks like falls, manual handling injuries and work-related ill health remain stubbornly high, these capabilities are no longer optional – they’re essential.
iProtectU’s Contractor Compliance and Permit to Work Modules
A Compliance Game-Changer
If you’re managing hired contractors day-to-day, the right digital tools can turn passive compliance into proactive risk control.
Our Supplier & Contractor Management Module helps you:
- Centralise contractor documentation and credentials
- Â Automate pre-qualification and risk assessments
- Track inductions, permits, insurances and training
- Trigger alerts for expiring certifications
- Report status and compliance trends in real time
Our Permit to Work Module helps you:
- Digitise and standardise permit workflows from request through issue to closure — removing paper bottlenecks and errors.
- Configure permit types (hot work, confined space, electrical, isolation/LOTO, working at height, excavation and more) to match your safety governance.
- Automate approvals, notifications and escalations to ensure the right people sign off at the right time.
- Embed compliance requirements (HSE guidance, ISO 45001 standards) into templates and workflows to reduce regulatory risk.
- Integrate permits with contractor records, RAMS, training and competency checks before work can begin.
- Validate permits on site using QR codes or mobile scanning for real-time compliance verification.
- Track isolations, test results, PPE checks and toolbox talks as part of the permit lifecycle.
- Maintain full audit trails, evidence capture and timestamped documentation for inspections and legal compliance.
- Gain insights with dashboards, analytics and integrations (Power BI / M365) to monitor trends and improve safety outcomes.
- Reduce administrative overhead and improve accountability with automated actions, owners and due dates.
References
Please visit the following sources for further information
Health and Safety Executive (2025a) Work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain, 2024/25. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm (Accessed: 01 February 2026).
Health and Safety Executive (2025b) Construction statistics in Great Britain, 2024/25. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/construction.htm (Accessed: 05 February 2026).
Health and Safety Executive (2025c) Costs to Great Britain of workplace injuries and new cases of work-related ill health. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/cost.htm (Accessed: 10 February 2026).
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