Young workers in construction: Who gets injured – and why?

Experience is not just something you put on your CV. In the construction industry, a lack of it can cost you your health. A recent report from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority and the Norwegian Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (STAMI) paints a clear picture: It is the youngest who are most often injured.

3902 injuries in 2024 – and the youngest are overrepresented

Figures from Statistics Norway show that 3,902 work-related injuries were registered in construction last year. That in itself is a high number. What particularly worries the researchers is that workers under the age of 25 stand out negatively in the statistics – both among women and men.

Ingvill Kvernmo, director of the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, points to a complex explanation:

– The youngest workers have the least experience and are not as familiar with the work and the workplace as more experienced colleagues.

She emphasizes that employers have a special responsibility to provide adequate training and follow up on the safety of young people from day one.

What kinds of accidents happen most often?

The report shows that the three most common types of accidents are:

• Impact or hitting objects
• Fall accidents
• Puncture and cut injuries from sharp or pointed objects

There was also a noticeable increase in accidents related to electrical voltage in 2024. Previously, falls topped the list, but the picture has shifted somewhat.

Men dominate the statistics – but not always

95 percent of all registered work-related injuries in the industry involve men, which largely reflects the male-dominated nature of the industry. Men are on average twice as likely to suffer accidents as women in the same industry.

But the report also brings new insights: For the first time, accident statistics have been published specifically for the craftsman profession. There, the picture is more even. The risk of a female craftsman being injured is barely lower than for a male colleague. The difference in the overall statistics is therefore largely due to the fact that women in the industry more often have professions outside of direct crafts – such as office work or cleaning.

Fewer deaths – but zero tolerance still applies

There is one bright spot in the report: In both 2024 and 2025, two people died at work in construction. These are the lowest numbers recorded in the industry in the last ten years.

Kvernmo is careful about celebrating:

– It is positive that fewer people have died in the last two years. At the same time, every death is one too many.

The fatal accidents in 2025 occurred during the transport of materials and in connection with ground work. Both accidents in 2024 were falls.

The report emphasizes something that many in the industry already know, but which is nevertheless repeated too rarely: Systematic HSE work and thorough risk assessments are not paperwork – they are life-saving tools.

For businesses that have young employees, the conclusion is clear. Give them time to learn. Don't put them on tasks they're not ready for. And make sure safety procedures aren't just something that hangs on the wall, but something that's actually practiced.

The report is called Compass: Accidents in construction – report 2025 and is available as a PDF from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority.

You can find the report here: Accidents in construction – report 2025


Source: Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority and STAMI