The latest data on women workplace injuries UK shows that women are far less likely than men to die at work, but that headline masks a different problem. The most recent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures show that while fatal injuries remain heavily concentrated in male-dominated sectors, women face a disproportionate share of non-fatal injuries and work-related ill health. Much of that harm is linked to equipment, uniforms and working patterns designed around male bodies.

For any woman running a business, this matters in two ways. If you employ people, your legal duty to protect them does not stop at the obvious hazards. If you are self-employed or work as a contractor, understanding where women are most at risk helps you negotiate safer premises, better equipment and fairer insurance terms. Here is what the latest HSE figures tell us, and what you should do about them.

Women workplace injuries UK: key findings from the HSE report

According to provisional HSE data for 2024/25, 138 workers were killed in work-related accidents in Great Britain. That is a fall from 144 fatalities in 2023/24, but the gender pattern has barely shifted. Men accounted for around 95% of worker fatalities in 2023/24, a ratio that has held steady for more than a decade.

The reason is occupational segregation. The industries with the highest fatal injury rates, agriculture, forestry and fishing, construction and waste, remain overwhelmingly male. In 2024/25, construction alone accounted for 33 of the 138 deaths, while agriculture recorded 23 fatalities. Falls from height, being struck by a moving vehicle and being struck by a moving object continue to cause the largest share of deaths.

For women-led businesses, the practical point is not that fatal risk is irrelevant, but that it is rarely the primary hazard in the sectors where most women work. Health and social care, education, retail and hospitality employ far more women, and the injuries there tend to be different in nature. For broader context on where women work and the sectors they lead, see our Women in Business: Key UK Facts page.

Fatal injuries remain concentrated in male-dominated work

The 2024/25 HSE figures confirm a long-standing trend. Workplace deaths are concentrated in sectors where women make up a small minority of the workforce. Agriculture has the highest rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers, followed by construction and waste. These are physically hazardous environments where workers face falls, moving vehicles, collapsing materials and heavy machinery.

Because women are under-represented in these sectors, they account for only a small fraction of fatalities. In 2023/24, women made up just 5% of worker fatalities. That does not mean women are safe at work. It means the risks they face are different and often less visible.

Non-fatal injuries and ill health tell a different story

HSE estimates that 604,000 workers sustained a non-fatal injury in 2023/24, based on self-reported data. A further 1.8 million workers were suffering from work-related ill health, whether new or long-standing. These figures are not split evenly by gender. Women report higher rates of work-related stress, depression and anxiety than men, and they dominate sectors where musculoskeletal disorders from handling, repetitive tasks and awkward postures are common.

The Office for National Statistics labour market data shows that women make up the large majority of workers in health and social work and in education. Those are the sectors where slips, trips and falls, manual handling injuries and violence at work feature heavily. In health and social care especially, staff regularly face lifting, restraint, unpredictable behaviour and long hours on their feet. The injury profile is less dramatic than a construction fatality, but the cumulative harm is substantial. If you are thinking about how your workspace affects wellbeing, our article on designing workplaces that nurture health sets out practical design principles.

PPE and equipment still fail to fit women

One of the most persistent problems is personal protective equipment. A 2017 TUC survey found that only 29% of women said their PPE was designed for them, with many reporting that their employer simply provided a smaller version of men’s equipment. Ill-fitting gloves, boots, hi-vis jackets and body armour restrict movement, reduce protection and can themselves cause injury.

The legal position changed in April 2022, when the Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022 came into force. Employers must now provide suitable PPE free of charge to limb (b) workers, including many agency staff and contractors, as well as to employees. The equipment must be suitable for the wearer, which means it must fit the person using it. For women, that requirement is still too often ignored.

The Women and Work All-Party Parliamentary Group has continued to press for better enforcement and procurement standards. Its 2024 report highlighted that many employers still buy PPE in standard male sizes and that women in frontline roles, from policing to construction to healthcare, routinely adapt or avoid protective kit because it does not fit. That is a failure of risk assessment as well as procurement.

What employers and self-employed women should do now

Whether you run a limited company, a social enterprise or work as a sole trader with occasional staff, the law is clear. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires you to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your employees. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, and that assessment must reflect the actual people doing the work, not a generic worker.

Practical steps include:

• Review your risk assessment whenever the workforce changes, not just once a year.
• Buy PPE from suppliers who offer a genuine women’s range, not just scaled-down men’s sizes.
• Consult female employees about fit, comfort and practicality before placing bulk orders.
• Record manual handling, repetitive tasks and stress as hazards in their own right, not as afterthoughts.
• Check that your employers’ liability insurance and public liability insurance are up to date and match your current activities.

If you are self-employed, your responsibilities depend on whether your work poses a risk to others. Even when the law does not require a written risk assessment, carrying one anyway protects your health and your professional reputation. Our guide on the essentials every home-based worker should have covered includes insurance and safety basics.

Practical action steps for your business

• Download the latest HSE statistics for 2024/25 and compare the injury profile in your sector with your own risk register.
• Audit your PPE stock for fit and suitability, and replace anything that is only available in male sizes.
• Talk to your employees or contractors about the hazards they actually encounter, especially stress, manual handling and equipment design.
• Review your insurance cover and make sure it reflects your current work and workforce.

Women workplace injuries UK data shows that fatal risk and everyday risk are not the same thing. While men continue to bear the brunt of workplace deaths, women face a higher burden of non-fatal injury and ill health, much of it preventable through better design, better PPE and better risk assessment. For women in business, that is both a legal duty and a competitive advantage. A safer workplace retains staff, reduces sickness absence and lowers insurance costs.