Construction and retail have been named the joint riskiest industries to work in the UK in 2026, according to a new Risk Index from iHasco.
The 2026 Risk Index analyses the latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) data alongside an internal survey of UK businesses, ranking industries based on factors including workplace accident rates, fatal injuries, mental health-related absences and HSE enforcement action.
Each industry was scored across multiple indicators, and the results were combined into a proprietary index, with scores ranging from 0 to 90. Those with the highest overall score were deemed the riskiest.
Construction and retail both topped the table with a score of 85/90, followed closely by manufacturing (81/90) and the care sector (76/90). Office-based roles, often perceived as low risk, still recorded a mid-table score of 57/90.
One of the most striking findings is that traditionally high-risk industries are no longer the only areas of concern.
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.
Looking ahead, iHasco’s survey of its customer base reveals a clear shift in how organisations are approaching Health & Safety.
Over half of businesses (57 per cent) stated that improving mental health and managing workplace stress are their top health and safety priorities for the year ahead. Manual handling, lifting injuries, and workplace wellbeing ranked second at 31 per cent, ensuring that leadership and communication are just as important for health & safety as the physical safety equipment on site.
The good news is that this proactive approach is having an impact. When asked to rate their confidence in their organisation’s health and safety procedures, respondents scored an average of 7.94 out of 10, indicating a strong belief in the current safety culture.
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.
“As we head into the winter months, having robust procedures in place becomes even more critical. Slips and trips increase during winter, and the physical and mental strain on staff often peaks at this time of year.
“We’re seeing that businesses that treat training as a continuous habit — rather than a once-a-year exercise — are far more confident in their safety culture.”
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