by HRHQ Editorial Team
Ireland recorded its lowest ever rate of work-related fatalities in 2024 according to provisional data published by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). The fatality rate per 100,000 workers has fallen from 2.7 to 1.2 in the ten-year period from 2015 to 2024, marking the fewest work-related deaths since the establishment of the Authority in 1989.
A total of 33 people lost their lives in work-related incidents in 2024, a reduction of almost a quarter on 2023 fatalities. The construction sector, in particular, saw a significant decline from 10 fatalities in 2023 to 5 in 2024, a decline of 50%, while the agriculture sector saw a decline from 20 fatalities in 2023 to 12 last year, a decline of 40%.
Of the 33 deaths in 2024, 30 were male and three were female.
Cork, Dublin and Offaly accounted for the highest records of deaths in 2024, with three fatalities occurring in each county.
Commenting on the significant reduction on fatalities in Irish workplaces, Conor O’Brien, Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority, said,
“It is positive to see such a decline in the overall fatality figures for 2024, in particular the significant reduction in the high risk agriculture and construction sectors. However, every work-related death is preventable. Vigilance and advance planning around health and safety at work is crucial to lowering the number of deaths further”.
In 2024 the HSA marked 35 years since it was established and published its Strategy Statement 2025-2027 with a view to addressing significant change in the workplace and broader society. With a wide mandate promoting and enforcing work-related safety and health legislation, as well regulating chemicals and industrial products and providing the national accreditation service, the new strategy is designed to support competitiveness and the sustainability of Ireland’s economy. In implementing the strategy, the Authority will be ambitious and innovative, focusing on achieving tangible outcomes.
