At least 592 workers were killed in 484 workplace accidents across the country in 2018 and most of the deaths occurred due to road accidents, says a survey report of Safety and Rights Society (SRS), a non-government organisation working for workplace health and safety.
SRS prepared the report monitoring 26 daily newspapers (15 national and 11 local) from January 1 to December 31, 2018, according to a press release.
The report did not include deaths of workers outside the workplace or in road accidents on the way to or returning from workplace. However, on duty workers who were killed in road accidents have been counted in this survey, the release added.
In 2017, the number was 437 in 324 workplace accidents.
In terms of causes of the accidents, the survey found that 176 workers died due to road accidents while on duty.
The report says that electrocution killed 96 workers while 79 died after falling from heights, 68 died from being crushed by falling machinery or heavy load or hard objects.
Some 60 agriculture workers died in lightning strikes while 28 died in earth or hill collapse. Twenty-five workers were suffocated to death by poisonous gas in septic or water tanks.
Among others, 22 workers were killed in building, wall or roof collapse while 20 were killed in boiler, cylinder or chemical explosions. Fire caused the death of 11 workers.
Among the workplace sectors, the survey found that 184 workers were killed in construction sites, which is 31 percent of total workplace deaths. Besides, 170 workers were killed in transport sector which is about 29 percent of total deaths.
Sekender Ali Mina, executive director of SRS, said all workplace accidents are not reported in the newspapers; the actual number of workplace deaths is more than the figure mentioned in the report.
To reduce workplace accidents, SRS gave a set of recommendations, urging employers and owners to take proper measures to ensure safe workplaces and reduce accident risks that workers face. It also called upon the government to take strict steps to enforce the law to stop such accidents.
https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/592-killed-workplace-accidents-2018-1682341
