Health and safety Executive (HSE) has recently released a report on Work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain in 2024/25 reported under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations). There were 124 fatal accidents in year 24/25. These statistics include deaths reported to the four main enforcing authorities for health and safety at work, namely the Health and Safety Executive, Local Authorities, Office for Nuclear Regulation and Office of Rail and Road. The statistics exclude fatal diseases and fatal accidents on non-rail transport systems (mainly road vehicles).
The fatal injuries to workers by main industry type can be seen in the chart below
Fatal Accidents by Industry Type
The main kind of fatal accidents for workers are listed in the chart below. All the fatal accidents listed are likely to occur while operating a forklift truck.
Types of Fatal Accidents
Fatal accidents over the last 15 years have been hoovering between 113 and 145, However, this is considerably less than 495 in 1981. See chart below.
Fatal Accidents since 1981
The report does not list deaths due to forklift truck accidents. However, the Manual Training Organisation has published a report titled “Forklift Accident Statistics UK : 2026 Facts, Data and Key Insights” by Mark McShane. The key facts and figures from the report are:
- About 27 people are killed in forklift truck accidents each year
- 1 in 5 (20%) workplace fatalities are caused by forklift truck or industrial vehicle
- About 1300 workers are hospitalised with severe injuries involved in forklift truck accidents each year
- Around 25% of all workplace transport accidents involve forklift trucks
- About 43% of all RIDDOR reported forklift truck incidents involve a third person, i.e. not involved directly in forklift operation
- 42% of the forklift fatalities are caused by the operator being crushed when the vehicle tips over. Most of them were not wearing seat belts
The Most Common Causes of accidents were:
- Inadequate pedestrian segregation
- Lack of adequate forklift truck training
- Seatbelts not being worn by forklift truck operators
- Speeding and inappropriate forklift truck speed
- Forklift truck turning with elevated load
- Overloading the forklift truck
- Reversing the forklift truck without adequate visibility or warning
- Poor site layout and traffic management
- Inadequate forklift truck maintenance
Ruth Wallace of Wallace Forklift Training London says “ forklift trucks are large heavy vehicle and can cause severe disruption to production by causing damage to equipment and serious injury or fatality to key staff. You could also be subject HSE investigation and incur heavy fines”
Wallace School of Transport including Forklift Training in London is a fully accredited RTITB company with over 60 years’ experience. You can be trained either at your own work site or at Wallace Centre in Park Royal. If you have any questions, call Wallace Forklift Training on 020 8453 3440, choose option 3 or click here to email us.