Rising Public Fatalities – Breakdown by Sector
- 2022/23: 68 members of the public died in work-related incidents
- 2023/24: Increased to 87 deaths
- 2024/25: Reached 92 fatalities
HSE data for 2024/25 shows a concerning trend. 92 members of the public lost their lives in work-related incidents. Here is a breakdown:
- 27 deaths occurred on railways
- 54 deaths were in other service sector industries including 29 in health and social work (e.g., hospitals, care homes)
- In non‑service sectors, 11 public deaths were reported:
- 4 in agriculture, forestry & fishing
- 4 in construction
- 3 in waste & recycling
Food for thought – Key processes to look at to improve public safety
- Visitor & contractor screening – Standardise pre-entry checks for all visitors and contractors.
- Risk assessments focusing on public zones – Place emphasis on areas where public access overlaps with operational activities and carry out dynamic assessments whenever layout or tasks change.
- Prompt hazard identification – Encourage anyone on site to report hazards immediately and provide them with the tools to be able to do this quickly and efficiently.
- Optimise Induction and orientation protocols – Where appropriate ensure visitors receive site-specific safety briefings or digital orientation, or this information is displayed clearly within public areas.
Martyn’s Law – Raising the Bar on Public Safety
One keyway organisations must raise the bar with public safety is by ensuring compliance with Martyn’s Law, the new Terrorism (Protection of Premises) legislation that now requires premises hosting public gatherings to integrate terrorism risk into their broader safety and emergency preparedness strategies.
Want to go further into this topic?
Would you like to dive deeper into public safety, process optimisation, and Martyn’s Law readiness? Join our online workshop:
Navigating Martyn’s Law: What It Means for Your Risk Strategy
Date: 7 November 2025
Duration: 1 hour
Attend live or access on demand
What you’ll learn:
- Core principles and tier definitions—who the law affects and why
- How to integrate terrorism-related risks into existing emergency planning and risk frameworks
- Practical next steps: aligning current safety procedures with legal duties
- How to ensure planning remains proportionate to venue size, use and public access
- Tools and approaches to embed responsive, actionable security plans (not just theoretical models)
Places are limited so find out more and book your place here:
