Work-related accidents killed 13 since year beginning

Since the beginning of this year alone, 13 people died and 21 other suffered serious injuries in accidents at work. According to Deputy Labor Inspector General Igor Ciroci, a very important step in reducing the number of accidents in the workplace would be to introduce a financial rationale for the labor protection decisions. The cost of the work-related accidents is largely underestimated by the employers. According to him, if an employee dies in the workplace, the employer has to pay the family of the deceased at least 10 average monthly salaries each year until the victim, had he/she lived, reached the retirement age. Moreover, if a person gets disabled while at work, the employer must pay the victim a monthly pension for life. For the loss of every percent of labor capacity, an employer will be compelled to pay the price of a monthly average salary. If a worker loses one hand, for instance, his/her incapacity is estimated at 70 percent, and the employer will have to pay 14,000 lei annually. These expenses will eventually make the employer acknowledge the risks and pay increased attention to labor protection, considers Igor Ciroci. There are ten labor inspection sub-units across Moldova. Inspectors are thoroughly investigating each accident in order to establish the sources of the risks, which must be dealt away with by the employers. Although the inspectors are working hard to prevent accidents, statistics show that injuries and deaths at work are quite frequent. Most of work-related accidents occur because key safety rules are being neglected, and also because of the old and hazardous equipment and machinery, says Ciroci. The International Labor Organization (ILO) says globally 2.2 million people die annually from work-related accidents and diseases and work-related deaths appear to be on the rise. Moreover, each year an estimated 270 million people suffer non-fatal, work-related accidents resulting in at least three days absence from work and an additional 160 million new people suffer from some work-related illness. “There is clear evidence that healthy workforces both enhance business productivity and benefit enterprises and national economies by reducing the number of accidents and diseases and lowering the number of insurance and compensation claims”, says Dr. Sameera Al-Tuwaijri, Director of the ILO’s Safework Department. In 2003, the ILO began to observe the World Day for Safety and Health, bringing its tripartite strength and social dialogue to the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers organized worldwide by the trade union movement since 1996 and coordinated by the International Trade Union Federation (ITUC).