The number of deaths and injuries at work have declined in the first half of 2015 as compared to the same period last year, according to data released Thursday (Sep 17) by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Institute.
The number of deaths at work fell to 29 in the first half of the year, down from 34 deaths during the same period in 2014. Also, there were 5,950 cases of workers getting injured in the first half of 2015, down from 6,563 cases in the same period last year.
The construction, marine and manufacturing sectors accounted for 48 per cent of deaths at work. The construction sector remained the highest contributor of workplace deaths, but it saw a decrease in the number of fatalities – from 17 in the first half of 2014 to 10 this year. Workers in these sectors are traditionally at higher risk of dying or sustaining injuries, according to the WSH Institute.
Work-related traffic incidents was the leading cause of death, with eight employees suffering fatal injuries under such circumstances. Other common causes of work-related deaths include falling from height and being struck by moving objects.
FEWER INJURIES AT WORK
There were fewer cases of workers sustaining major injuries, from 304 cases in the first half of 2014 to 292 cases this year. The number of cases of minor injuries also declined, from 6,255 to 5,658.
The sectors that are traditionally at higher risk of injury accounted for 54 per cent of major injuries, but they saw a reduction from 169 cases to 159 this year. The construction sector remained the highest contributor, with 88 cases of major injuries reported in the first half of this year.
The most common causes of major injuries include falling from height, falling due to slipping or tripping, getting caught in or between objects, or being struck by falling objects.
As for minor injuries, the traditionally higher-risk sectors accounted for 43 per cent of the cases. The manufacturing sector was the top contributor, with 1,208 cases reported in the first half of 2015. However, this was still a decline from the same period last year, when 1,411 cases reported.
Despite an overall decline in the number of minor injuries, sectors including accommodation and food service activities and financial and insurance activities saw an increase in the number of cases reported.
The top cause of minor injuries was falls due to slipping or tripping, WSH Institute added.
MORE WORK-RELATED ILLNESSES
However, there were more cases of occupational diseases, from 428 cases in the first half 2014 to 438 cases in the same period in 2015. Despite the increase, the occupational disease incidence rate dipped from 13.2 per 100,000 workers in the first half of 2014 to 13.0 in the same period this year.
The manufacturing sector recorded the highest number of occupational diseases, accounting for 31 per cent of all cases. Common illnesses across all sectors include noise-induced deafness and work-related musculoskeletal disorders, said WSH Institute.
news source & image credits: channelnewsasia.com
