Workplace deaths up 12% in past two decades
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Mar 2024
Global work-related deaths have jumped more than 12% since 2000 according to new estimates from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
In the new report, based on 2019 data, which is the latest available, the ILO reveals that over 2.9m workers died on the job in 2019, with 395m more suffering nonfatal injuries. The death total also marks an increase of more than 5% from 2015.
Most of the deaths (2.6m) have been linked to work-related diseases, while approximately 330,000 were caused due to injuries. The mortality rate was much higher for men (108.3 deaths per 100,000 workers) than women (48.4).
An ILO media release said, “Circulatory diseases, cancer and respiratory diseases rank among the top three causes of work-related deaths. Together, these three categories contribute more than three-quarters of total work-related mortality.”
The report found that about a third of the deaths involved agricultural workers. Agriculture, construction, forestry and fishing and manufacturing account for 200,000 fatalities a year, or 63% of the total workplace deaths.
ILO recommends three strategies to reduce work-related deaths and injuries:
- Improve national occupational safety and health frameworks by enhancing governance, promoting reliable data and building competency.
- Strengthen coordination, partnerships and investment in occupational safety and health (OSH) at national and global levels.
- Enhance workplace OSH management systems by promoting ILO-OSH 2001 principles; develop gender-transformative guidance and tailor it to specific hazards, risks, sectors and occupations. M