With two deaths every day due to occupational accidents, 2022 will be a “disastrous” year in terms of accidents in the world of work, according to the report presented yesterday by the UGT trade union. Data compiled by the union shows that fatal accidents at work increased by 16.4% in 2022 and exceeded 860. “These are worrying figures and we believe it has been a disastrous year. It is an invisible drama for society because deaths at work have become normalized. Behind these numbers are people”, said the secretary of occupational health of the UGT, Ana García de la Torre when she presented the report.
In total, the number of work accidents in 2022 was 1,218,211, which represents an increase of 4.6% compared to 2021. There was also an 8.7% increase in work accidents that caused the leave, up to 653,510.
The first cause of work accidents with time off work was overexertion on the musculoskeletal system, with a total of 166,301 (29% of accidents), while heart attacks and strokes continue to be the first cause of death in the job with 301 fatal accidents. A figure that is 23.4% more than in 2021.
On the other hand, workers between the ages of 16 and 34 suffered 160,660 accidents at work with time off work, 28% of the total, of which 661 were serious and 67 fatal.
In addition, there were a total of 82,236 accidents in itinere, that is, on the way to work, 6.4% more than the data recorded in 2021. García de la Torre detailed that 153 workers died in this type of accident, which means an increase of 17.7%.
An additional complaint from the union is that it is an invisible problem, of which public opinion is not aware. As a sign of this invisibility, they mentioned their absence in the debate on the next elections. “None of the political parties includes in their electoral program a proposal to avoid occupational accidents. We urge the Central Government to act accordingly and to develop measures to eliminate these intolerable data”, stated the secretary of Occupational Health and Environment of the Federation of Industry, Construction and Agriculture of the UGT, Pilar Ituero.
On the other hand, from the union, what they do value positively are the latest measures adopted to avoid workplace accidents caused by the strong heat. “We believe that the regulation that prohibits certain jobs outdoors during heat waves is an important step and a step forward. We encourage companies to discuss protocols to prevent the effects of heat”, said the secretary of occupational health of the UGT.
The report calculates that in 2022 there were 157 lost-time accidents during the working day due to heat and sunstroke, of which six were fatal, an increase of 190.7% since in 2021 there were 54 accidents for this reason, of which two were fatal. Likewise, 89 accidents were declared with a day off due to the effects of extreme temperatures, light and radiation.
