The number of workplace fatalities in the Republic increased by 60 per cent during 2025, according to newly released figures from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).
The increase, from 36 in 2024 to 58 last year, was driven by a surge in deaths in the agricultural sector, but there were also jumps in the number of those who died in construction and manufacturing settings. It brings total workplace fatalities countrywide to more than 500 since 2015.
Age and employment status were again significant factors in the figures for 2025, with almost a third of those who died aged over 65 – the oldest was 88 – and nearly half self-employed.
The proportion of deaths which took place on farms, however, is again the most striking factor, with the number for last year almost doubling to 23, despite ongoing campaigns by both the HSA and Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) to raise awareness around safety issues and working alone.
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Publishing the figures, the HSA noted that farming accounted for 40 per cent of the deaths recorded while “employing approximately 4 per cent of the workforce”.
The ageing profile of the State’s farmers and the fact that so many work alone, the IFA has previously said, are significant contributory factors to the problem.
HSA chief executive Mark Cullen said the wider increase was “deeply concerning” and added that he hoped the sudden increase was a one-off rather than a longer-term reversal of the progress made in recent years.
Overall, the figures represent the highest fatality rate seen across all sectors since 2020; however, with the number per 100,000 workers increasing from 1.3 in 2024 to 2.1 last year, a significant departure from what has been a persistent long-term downward trend.
Aside from the growth in numbers in agriculture, the number of fatalities recorded in construction doubled, from five to 10, and those in manufacturing went from zero to five.
“The numbers for 2025 are very disappointing,” said Mr Cullen, but “any loss of life is preventable. When we talk about statistics, we have to remember there are loved ones [and] families impacted by these tragic events.
“We hope that this is just a spike and there is no standout feature to it. We’re seeing the self-employed making up a high percentage of the fatalities, unfortunately, and that’s coming primarily from the agriculture sector, but we’re seeing the same hazards leading to these fatalities … falling from heights, working in and around plant and machinery. There’s nothing different in that respect, only that there has been a spike in them this year.
“We would hope that the continued efforts we make with our stakeholders, the inspections, the work on providing information and guidance and running campaigns will help to maintain the wider trend of the figures coming down.”
Being struck by a vehicle and accidents involving a heavy load were the two most common causes of fatalities, according to the statistics for last year. Nine deaths involved falls from heights and another three involved other falls. There were four that involved the loss of control of a vehicle and the same number again in which the person had been trapped by an object.
There were six fatalities reported in Dublin, the same number as in Cork and also in Donegal. The total provided is a preliminary figure and could increase as investigations into particular incidents are completed.
In a statement, the HSA said that in the coming year, it will deliver “a comprehensive programme of risk-based, evidence-led workplace health and safety inspections across all sectors of the economy. Those sectors that pose the highest health and safety risks will be targeted with a range of enforcement, compliance and awareness-raising interventions.”
