The most dangerous industries to work in

When considering the most dangerous industry to work in, sectors such as transportation and construction are likely to spring to mind. However, statistics from the HSE show that it is, in fact, agriculture, forestry and fishing that’s responsible for the most workplace injuries. 

Many people choose their line of work based on what they enjoy and the skillset they’ve acquired. While, for some, the idea of getting into a seemingly dangerous industry might be deemed unthinkable, others pursue their interests, regardless of the risks involved. 

We’ll explore the industries that make up the top four most dangerous sectors in the UK, as well as the locations which represent a large percentage of workplace injuries. 

Is your job in one of the top four most dangerous sectors? 

The most dangerous industries in the UK are: 

• Agriculture, forestry and fishing – dangerous, heavy machinery, livestock, working from height and poor weather conditions all contribute to the hazards that working in this sector can bring. 
• Construction – the risks of construction jobs include health issues from hazardous substances and manual handling as well as those from noisy machinery and equipment. 
• Accommodation and food services – manual handling, slips, trips and falls and electrical and gas safety are all factors that produce risk within this sector. 
• Wholesale/retail trade (including motor vehicle repair) – dangers in this industry can be caused by a variety of factors including falls from height, fire and explosion and hazardous substances. 

Each of these industries pose a variety of risks, with some less obvious than others.  

If you work in one of these sectors and you have had an accident as a result of poorly managed health and safety, you might be able to make a no win no fee claim.

The most dangerous locations in the UK

Recent research from National Accident Helpline revealed the most dangerous workplace locations in the UK. London came out number one with 6,746 injuries from 2014 – 2022 and 15 fatalities. 

Outside the capital, the North West region has also seen some of the highest numbers of workplace injuries with the cities of Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington suffering one fatality each and a combined total of 1,142 non-fatal workplace injuries. 

These figures tend to show a correlation between heavily populated towns and cities and high workplace incidents, which is to be expected due to industry locations and infrastructure. 

While many might expect the South West of England to have lower overall workplace injuries, the county of Devon has suffered 11 fatalities in the past few years as well as almost 800 injuries. 

This data proves that workplace accidents can occur in any location, highlighting the need to be aware of health and safety risks, especially in what are considered the most dangerous industries.