Construction, retail and manufacturing among UK’s riskiest workplaces, new analysis finds 

Construction, retail and manufacturing have been identified as the UK’s riskiest sectors to work in, according to a new workplace risk analysis combining Health and Safety Executive (HSE) data with industry insights. 

The research, published by compliance training provider iHasco, found that workplace injuries and ill-health continue to place significant pressure on organisations, with 40.1 million working days lost in 2024/25 and an estimated £22.9 billion cost to UK businesses. 

The analysis highlights a changing safety landscape in which risk is no longer limited to traditionally hazardous industries. High-volume sectors, such as health and social care, retail and education, are now reporting large numbers of workplace incidents alongside more established high-risk environments. 

Health and social care recorded the highest number of workplace accidents (79,000) in the latest figures, followed by retail (75,000) and education (55,000). 

These sectors now report more incidents than construction (47,000) and manufacturing (51,000), which have historically been viewed as the most dangerous industries. The findings suggest that workplaces with high footfall, staffing pressures and physically demanding roles may be facing increasing safety challenges. Manufacturing and care also recorded the largest productivity losses from injury-related absence, with 548,000 and 546,000 days lost respectively. 

Retail and construction reported similar levels of absence, each losing more than 400,000 working days due to workplace injury. 

The data also highlights unexpected regional trends. While Scotland was identified as the highest-risk region overall, with £1.6 billion linked to workplace accident costs, the South East recorded the highest number of workplace accidents at 100,000. 

Other regional hotspots included the South West (78,000 incidents) and North West (69,000), despite differences in industrial profiles. 

London recorded 68,000 incidents, comparable with traditionally industrial regions such as the North East. 

In contrast, Wales reported the lowest number of incidents at 24,000. 

Mental health absence rising 

Alongside physical injuries, the data also highlights growing mental health pressures in frontline sectors. 

Health and social care recorded the highest levels of mental health-related absence, with 3,175 days lost, followed by public administration (2,620 days) and education (1,700 days). 

These figures suggest employees working in roles centred on supporting others may be experiencing significant emotional and psychological strain. 

In comparison, sectors such as construction and manufacturing reported fewer mental health-related absences, although researchers note this may reflect lower levels of disclosure or cultural barriers around discussing mental wellbeing. 

Enforcement activity continues 

Regulatory scrutiny also remains concentrated in higher-risk industries. 

Construction recorded the highest number of HSE prosecutions (98) in 2024/25, followed by manufacturing (71). 

Scotland saw the highest number of regional prosecutions, with 33 cases recorded, while the South East and North West reported the highest number of enforcement notices issued to businesses. 

Safety priorities shifting 

Alongside analysing incident data, the study also surveyed business leaders about their workplace safety priorities for the year ahead. 

The results suggest a shift in focus from traditional physical hazards towards broader workplace health concerns. 

More than half of organisations (57 per cent) said mental health and workplace stress were now their primary health and safety concern, ahead of risks such as manual handling injuries, slips and falls, or fire safety. 

Nathan Pitman, managing director at iHasco, said the findings reflect a broader shift in how organisations view workplace safety. 

“As we battle through the cold, dark months, having robust procedures in place is more important than ever,” he said. “We’re seeing businesses that treat training as a continuous part of their routine, rather than a once-a-year scramble, are the ones who feel most confident in their safety culture.” 

A changing risk landscape 

The findings suggest that workplace risk is increasingly shaped by workforce size, public interaction and staffing pressures, rather than simply the presence of physical hazards. 

For employers, this creates a wider challenge for workplace health and wellbeing strategies. 

While traditional safety risks remain important, organisations are also being required to address mental health, fatigue, workload pressures and musculoskeletal strain across a much broader range of sectors. 

As workplace structures continue to evolve, the data suggests safety and wellbeing are becoming increasingly interconnected, and that no sector is entirely immune to risk.