eLearning and online training provider iHasco has released new findings revealing the riskiest industries to work in across the UK.
The 2026 Risk Index analysed the latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) data alongside an internal survey of UK businesses. Industries were ranked using indicators such as workplace accident rates, fatal injuries, mental health-related absences, and HSE enforcement activity. The index revealed:
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Construction ranks as the UK’s riskiest industry, with an index score of 85 out of 90, and recorded the highest number of prosecutions between 2024 and 2025.
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Retail ties with construction for risk and spent nearly £900 million dealing with workplace injuries last year.
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Manufacturing takes second place with an index score of 81, and issued over 15,000 HSE enforcement notices last year, the highest of any industry.
In 2025, Health and Social Care reported the highest number of workplace accidents, with 79,000 incidents, followed closely by Retail, with 75,000 incidents. Both sectors now exceed accident figures in Construction (47,000) and Manufacturing (51,000), highlighting how risk is increasingly spread across customer-facing and people-intensive environments.
Commenting on the findings, Nathan Pitman, Managing Director at iHasco, said:
The data from our 2026 Risk Index is a clear wake-up call. When Health & Safety procedures and staff wellbeing are sidelined, the consequences are severe, from injuries and rising absence rates to reputational damage that can be difficult to reverse.
Top Nine Riskiest Industries in the UK for 2026
1) Construction – 85/90
1) Retail – 85/90
3) Manufacturing – 81/90
4) Care – 76/90
5) Office – 57/90
6) Public Administration and Defence – 53/90
6) Education – 53/90
8) Private Sector -35/90
8) Accommodation & food service activities – 35/90
