Each accident at the workplace which causes injury can lead to a loss of 166 productive man-hours on average. More than 90% of work-related injuries occur in manufacturing plants with a labor force of less than 25 individuals. The smaller manufacturing plants often lack a technical and health protection committee, says Hassan Hefdahtan, deputy labor minister.
In each manufacturing unit, one experienced, skilled employee should take responsibility as the safety officer, giving technical monthly reports on risk assessment to the local labor office. The officer also should inform the unit’s production manager about the possibility of occupational hazards, Alef News Agency reported.
The daily rate of fatal accidents at the workplace in the country is 5, which is not high compared with the global rate. The rate is 13, 3.1, 0.7 and 0 respectively in Russia, Canada, England and Japan.
At present, Tehran and Isfahan have the highest rate of work-related accidents in the country. Most job-related deaths are in the construction sector and 48.8% are related to workers falling from heights, 18.6% to the impact of their collision with hard objects and 15.2% due to electrocution. The highest percentage of fatalities is in the age group 25-34 years.
A work accident, workplace accident, occupational accident, or accident at work is a “discrete occurrence in the course of work” leading to physical or mental occupational injury
Risk Assessment
Hefdahtan also announced a plan to train more than one million safety experts to be sent to small manufacturing units with less than 25 workers. Further, the members of technical and health committee in large manufacturing units will be empowered and trained in the field of safety and risk assessment and risk management.
According to the law, employment of individuals less than 15 years of age is not legal and the employer is liable to compensate employees for any injury at the work place. Any accident that occurs should be reported to the local social security office within three days after the incident.
Today, occupational hazards are one of the most important issues in the industrial world. Due to lack of a suitable system for registration and reporting, there are no accurate statistics of occupational accidents, particularly in the third world countries.
Death Toll High
However, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), more than 337 million accidents happen on the job each year, resulting, together with occupational diseases, in more than 2.3 million deaths annually.
The phrase “in the course of work” can include work-related accidents happening off the company’s premises, and can include accidents caused by third parties, according to Eurostat. The definition of work accident includes accidents occurring “while engaged in an economic activity, or at work, or carrying on the business of the employer” according to the ILO.
The phrase “physical or mental harm” means any injury, disease, or death. Occupational accidents differ from occupational diseases as accidents are unexpected and unplanned occurrences (e.g., mine collapse), while occupational diseases are “contracted as a result of an exposure over a period of time to risk factors arising from work activity” (e.g., miner’s lung).
Incidents that fall within the definition of occupational accidents include cases of acute poisoning, attacks by humans and animals, insects etc., slips and falls on pavements or staircases, traffic collisions.
