Rise in workplace accidents points to cost cuts in safety

Workplace accidents have risen by about 10 percent every year since 2013 despite a dip in 2011-12, the association of technical and sanitation inspectors SEPYAE has said, quoting data from the SEPE Labor Inspection Corps.

The number of work-related accidents reported to SEPE last year came to 6,500 from 5,721 in 2010, according to the association, which attributes the rise to deteriorating workers’ rights and businesses cutting down on funding for safety as part of efforts to reduce operating costs.

According to available data, the highest percentages of accidents are in manufacturing, wholesale and retail commerce, vehicle repairs, construction, transport and storage.

In the meantime, cutbacks in state spending have also resulted in a drop in the number of inspections being carried out. In the first three months of this year, in fact, these were 27 percent fewer than in the same period of 2016.