Despite strongly recovering workloads, the provisional annual data show fatalities are 22 per cent down on the average of 45 over the last five years.

Fatality rates among construction workers improved from 1.62 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to 1.98 last year and a five-year average of 2.07.

Within the overall construction-related figures 24 employees were killed and 11 self-employed workers. Four members of the public died as a result of construction activity, which are not included in the industry records.

The HSE has also released the latest available figures on deaths from Mesothelioma -– a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

These show that 2,538 people in Great Britain died in 2013 compared to 2,548 in 2012 and 2,291 in 2011.

The statistics again confirm the UK to be one of the safest places to work in Europe, having one of the lowest rates of fatal injuries to workers in leading industrial nations.

Judith Hackitt, the HSE chair, said: “Every fatality is a tragic event and our commitment to preventing loss of life in the workplace remains unaltered. All workplace fatalities drive HSE to develop even more effective interventions to reduce death, injury and ill health.”