The number of workers killed after being struck by moving vehicles has risen by a huge 71% compared to the same time period last year, according to yesterday’s HSE data.

This stat has promoted calls for employers to strengthen safety measures in this area.

The latest HSE statistics, released on 1st July 2026, shows that there were 24 workers killed after being struck by a moving vehicle in the year 2025/26, compared to 24 the previous year.

This category saw the biggest increase of any fatal accident type recorded by the regulator.

While falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace fatalities, accounting for 31 deaths, this represented an 11% decrease from 35 fatalities the previous year.

However, being struck by a moving vehicle isn’t the only stat to have gone up in this year’s report. The research also showed:

  • Deaths after being struck by moving objects increased from 18 to 21 (+17%)

  • Fatal incidents involving workers trapped by something collapsing or overturning rose from 16 to 18 (+13%)

  • Contact with moving machinery increased from nine to ten fatalities (+11%)

Industry figures also shifted slightly, with construction remaining the sector with the highest number of workplace fatalities, although deaths fell from 35 to 25 (down 29%), followed by agriculture, forestry and fishing which went from 23 to 22 (-4%).

Meanwhile, manufacturing increased from 11 to 18 deaths, a huge 64% increase, and wholesale. Retail and motor repair increased by 22%, from 9 to 11 fatalities.

Brenig Moore, Workplace Health and Safety Expert and Technical Director at Astutis, said:

“Any workplace fatality is one too many, so seeing ten more people lose their lives after being struck by moving vehicles compared with last year is incredibly disappointing, and I know that a lot of these could’ve been prevented with additional training, managers taking fatigue more seriously and not treating risk assessments as just a bit of admin.

These are incidents that employers have spent years working to prevent, which makes this increase particularly concerning. While annual figures can fluctuate, they are a reminder that workplace safety can never become routine or be taken for granted.

Organisations should use these findings as an opportunity to review traffic management, vehicle movements, pedestrian segregation and training to make sure existing controls remain effective.

Every statistic represents a person who never returned home to their family, and that’s why continuous improvement in health and safety is so important.”

Overall, the HSE recorded 126 worker fatalities in 2025/26, up slightly from 124 the previous year. Despite the small increase, the regulator notes that Britain’s long-term trend remains one of significant improvement compared with previous decades, although progress has slowed in recent years.