Total number of accidents in construction

Reportable workplace accidents in the construction industry have increased over the past four years, after a decrease in 2020, likely due to reduced activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accidents had risen steadily until 2019, when they reached 226. At the beginning of 2020, the Administration of Occupational Safety and Health introduced a new electronic accident reporting system that uses the Icelandic NACE classification issued by Statistics Iceland. This classification was not used in the older system. Therefore, the numbers between the systems are not entirely comparable, although they are largely consistent.

Source: Administration of Occupational Safety and Health
Figure 1. Number of workplace accidents in construction, 2020–2024.

Accident rate

When looking at the development of reportable workplace accidents, it is essential to consider the accident rate, which refers to the number of accidents per 1,000 people working in a given industry, according to data from Statistics Iceland. The rate often tells us more than the total number of accidents. It provides a better comparison across industries of different sizes and makes it easier to compare year-over-year changes when employee numbers fluctuate, as is the case in construction.

In recent years, the number of employees in the industry has increased, which partly explains the rise in accidents. However, since 2022, the accident rate has grown faster than the workforce — meaning accidents are increasing more quickly than the number of employees. The accident rate was 10.7 in 2022 and rose to 13.2 in 2023. The increase slowed somewhat between 2023 and 2024, when the rate reached 13.7. Although the accident rate is rising, it is still lower than before the pandemic; in 2019, it was 15.1 and had been decreasing year by year in the preceding period.

Source: Administration of Occupational Safety and Health and Statistics Iceland
Figure 2. Accident rate per 1,000 employees in construction.

Causes of workplace accidents

When examining the causes of workplace accidents in construction from 2020–2024, falls are the most common, accounting for almost 40 percent of all reported accidents during this period. This includes both falls from height and falls on level ground. In construction, falls from height are the most frequent cause of accidents. This includes incidents where workers fall from ladders or scaffolding. Construction differs somewhat from other industries, where falls on level ground are usually the leading cause of workplace accidents, and falls from height occur less often.

Falls from height often result in serious injuries. Several fatal accidents in recent years can be traced to falls from height, and the height does not always need to be great for the consequences to be severe.

Another common factor is workers losing control of hand tools or loads. Six percent of workplace accidents are caused by objects falling from height onto workers. It is important to remember that an object does not need to be heavy to cause injury if it falls from a significant height. Therefore, proper use of safety helmets and toe boards on scaffolding is essential in construction work.

Source: Administration of Occupational Safety and Health
Figure 3. Main causes of accidents in construction, 2020–2024.

Injuries resulting from workplace accidents

Although the accident rate in the construction industry is not particularly high compared with some other industries, the consequences of accidents in this sector tend to be serious. Absence from work is often long, or the injuries may be permanent. For example, fractures occur in nearly 1 in 4 construction accidents. Next most common are sprains and overexertion injuries, which are often linked to falls; together, these categories account for nearly half of all cases. Furthermore, over half of the fatal workplace accidents in the past five years have occurred in the construction industry.

Source: Administration of Occupational Safety and Health
Figure 4. Main types of injuries resulting from accidents in construction, 2020–2024.

Gender, age, and nationality of injured workers in construction

The vast majority of those injured in the construction industry are men—97.5% of cases involved male workers. This is primarily explained by the gender composition of the sector's workforce. Figure 5 shows the age and gender distribution of all workers involved in reported workplace accidents in construction from 2020–2024.

Most injured workers are between 19 and 24 years old, which may partly be linked to inexperience and perhaps greater risk-taking among the youngest age groups. However, it should also be kept in mind that younger workers may be more likely to follow instructions without question and less likely to speak up when safety is lacking. The explanation may also lie in insufficient education and training. It is essential to welcome young employees who are taking their first steps in the labour market and educate them about workplace safety and wellbeing. Young people need knowledge about the risks present in their working environment that could threaten their safety and well-being, as well as an understanding of what characterises a good workplace. It is always important to promote a healthy workplace culture where people feel comfortable seeking support and guidance.

The number of accidents decreases as workers progress through their careers, especially after the age of 40. Of note is that women aged 30–34 and women aged 60–64 are the most likely among female workers to be injured. However, the number of accidents in these groups is small, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions. The construction industry appears to share a trend seen in other sectors: an increase in accidents among women aged 60–64, likely attributable to falls. It is well known that women in this age group are more prone to fractures from falls compared with younger women under similar conditions.

Source: Administration of Occupational Safety and Health
Figure 5. Number of reported workplace accidents by gender and age in construction, 2020–2024.

A considerable proportion of the construction workforce consists of employees of foreign nationality, and this share has grown since 2022, after remaining stable during the pandemic. In 2024, nearly 40 percent of construction industry workers were non-Icelandic nationals.

It is essential to examine this development in relation to their overall participation in the labour market and within individual sectors. For this comparison, data from the Statistics Iceland website and the accident registry of the Administration of Occupational Safety and Health are used. It should be noted, however, that these data sets are not fully comparable. Nevertheless, they indicate the proportion of Icelandic workers versus foreign nationals involved in reported workplace accidents, relative to their participation in the labour market (the number of employed persons with domestic background and with immigrant background).

Source: Statistics Iceland
Figure 6. Share of employees in construction by nationality

When workplace accidents are reported to the Administration of Occupational Safety and Health, information on the injured person's nationality is requested. In 2024, workers of foreign nationality accounted for nearly half of all reported workplace accidents—a higher proportion than their share of the industry workforce. This is a cause for concern and encourages the Administration of Occupational Safety and Health to remind workplaces where employees speak different languages to ensure that everyone clearly understands the safety rules that apply on-site and that a healthy workplace culture is promoted with an emphasis on employee safety and well-being. It is also essential to keep in mind that workers who have only worked abroad may be accustomed to different conditions and safety practices than those that apply in Iceland.

Source: Administration of Occupational Safety and Health
Figure 7. Share of accidents in construction by nationality

Fatal accidents in construction

Unfortunately, fatal accidents do occur at work, and more than half of all fatal workplace accidents during the period 2020–2024 happened in the construction industry, totalling nine cases. Five of the deceased were Icelandic, and four were foreign nationals. All were men over 30.

The cause of seven of these accidents was a fall from height, and the remaining two were caused by objects falling from height and striking the worker.

In the cases where a person died after falling from a height, the most common incidents involved falls from scaffolding or ladders (four accidents). In two cases, the surface or structure being worked on gave way, and in one case, there were other causes. In both accidents where an object fell from height onto the victim, lifting operations were in progress. The lifting equipment was in proper condition in both instances, but insufficient care was taken regarding how the objects were lifted.

Measures to prevent such accidents are well known, making it essential for workplaces to pay close attention to preventive actions so that fatal accidents can be entirely avoided.

Source: Administration of Occupational Safety and Health
Figure 8. Number of fatal accidents in construction by nationality and year.

How can we prevent accidents?

Construction sites are typically ever-changing environments, making it especially important to carefully assess the conditions on site before work begins each day. For this reason, the Administration of Occupational Safety and Health recommends that workers “take five” at the start of each workday—pausing to evaluate conditions and take appropriate preventive measures. It is also recommended to hold a brief safety meeting every morning to review the on-site situation. Examples include checking guardrails daily, properly securing ladders, marking off lifting areas, and ensuring lifting points are stable. It is also important to remember that ladders are intended only for light and temporary work. If a task will take more than a few minutes or requires heavy tools, a suitable work platform should always be used.

There is much to gain from reviewing well-known preventive measures to reduce falls at work, as doing so could significantly lower the number of construction accidents. These measures are often neither complicated nor costly, yet they pay off many times over—for both workers and employers.

It is also vital to pay close attention to workplace communication, particularly in environments with a high risk of accidents. Healthy communication, clear lines of instruction, and good cooperation help workers process information, reduce uncertainty, align expectations, and improve engagement and attitudes toward the work and the workplace. Equally important is to promote psychosocial safety so that employees feel confident speaking up when safety issues arise or when they feel uncomfortable at work. When workplace culture is characterised by trust, respect, fairness, honesty, and participation, safety and wellbeing increase.

These considerations are critical when workers come from different countries and do not all speak the same language. For example, safety rules must be provided in clear, understandable language—and in languages all workers on site can understand. It must also be kept in mind that some workers may be unfamiliar with local conditions. For instance, foreign workers may not be accustomed to working in icy or snowy environments or to different work methods.

Let us prioritise the safety and well-being of all workers—and ensure that everyone returns home safely.