The International Labour Organization estimates that almost 3 million people who are injured or become ill due to work-related accidents die each year around the world.
And a staggering 395 million workers are non-fatally injured, especially in industrial sectors that are well known for hazards, such as the construction and agriculture sectors.
So, even though health and safety seem to be generally much more of a key priority these days, it’s clear that much more needs to be done to protect workers from workplace hazards.
Exactly what can data tell us about workplace safety trends for 2025? Well, let’s find out.
Data Tells Us Men Are Most at Risk of Workplace Fatalities in the UK
According to a report by the Health and Safety Executive, which is a government regulator for occupational health and safety within the United Kingdom, a whopping 95% of people who were fatally injured due to a workplace injury or illness from 2023 to 2024 were men.
That follows a consistent trend from previous years.
While the reasons behind that have not been explained, it seems likely that those figures are due to a still male-dominant workforce within industries where hazards are the highest.
More safety measures and better training could surely bring that number down. So, employers need to do more to educate their workforce (especially men, it would seem) and implement stronger procedures concerning health and safety – in 2025 and beyond.
Data Tells Us That the Majority of UK Employees Expect Better Health and Safety Training
The 2024 Dräger Safety and Health at Work report gathered the views of employees and managers regarding safety in workplaces in the UK. Among its findings, 36% stated that skills shortages are an ongoing challenge and that the issue is directly impacting workplace safety.
That makes sense. After all, when people aren’t trained properly to have the necessary skills, more accidents are likely to occur.
The report also discovered that 93% of those interviewed expect to have formal health and safety training (rather than the training being via shadowing colleagues) but only 68% felt that formal training was being provided by their employer.
Therefore, it seems clear that employers could do much more to properly train their employees – and, in turn, reduce the number of workplace accidents.
Around the World, Many Workplace Injuries Continue to Go Unreported
When it comes to global data, it is invaluable to look at Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s Engineering Safer Workplaces report. Published in 2024, it is based on data that was gathered in 2023.
Data from the poll suggests that 49% of all workplace injuries are not reported. That is, of course, almost half!
The report also discovered that accident reporting is lowest among self-employed and part-time workers. 47% of self-employed workers reported accidents and 49% of part-time workers reported accidents. Compare that to full-time workers – 57% of them reported accidents.
If you are injured at work, you should most definitely report it – as it could help to change policy and you could receive compensation.
It’s also always worth consulting a local specialist lawyer, such as a workers’ comp lawyer in St. Louis, MO, to help you maximise the compensation you’re entitled to.
Better training seems to be the solution for better reporting and accident reduction. Data from the poll showed that reporting rates could be improved via the use of regular occupational safety and health (OSH) training.
Why? Because workers who received such training are over three times more likely to report workplace harm.
The bad news? At present, 62% of global workers have never received occupational safety and health (OSH) training.
So, What Does All That Data Tell Us About Workplace Safety Trends in 2025?
Based on the above data, we can get a better view of workplace safety trends in 2025.
It seems as though men are continuing to experience the vast number of workplace injuries that result in fatalities. That is certainly true of those working in the UK – and it is likely to be the case throughout the world.
The majority of UK workers want better health and safety training – in 2025 and beyond.
And the majority of the world’s workers also want better training – not only to help prevent accidents but also to encourage a higher rate of accident reporting.
So, ultimately, it seems like common sense to suggest that better training is the solution for all these trends. That means being better trained about health and safety within the workplace and being better trained in specific job skills.
The onus is on employers to implement these changes.
