Over 5,000 work accidents, 30 deaths in three years

Thirty people lost their lives on the job since 2021 and more than 4,000 were injured in the workplace in the same period, the president of the Technical Chamber Etek said on Friday.

According to Constantinos Constantis, in a statement marking World Day of Safety and Health at Work, most accidents occur in the construction sector, which accounts for 42 per cent of the total. This was followed by machine accidents that accounted for 22.6 per cent.

In 2020, there were 1,527 accidents, of which 16 were fatal. In 2021 the number was 1,433 with five fatalities and in 2022 there were 1,335 of which nine were fatal.

Constantis said the numbers were high in Cyprus. “The goal of all of us must be zero occupational accidents and we can achieve this,” he said.

He added extra factors to the danger of work accidents by citing climate change, which he claimed exacerbates the risk of heat stress. He also mentioned ultraviolet radiation, air pollution, industrial pollution, extreme weather events, communicable diseases and chemical exposure.

“As Etek we call on our members to comply with the law, observe safety rules and take all the necessary measures to avoid such unpleasant incidents,” he said.

An equally important factor for employers, he added, was staff training, the supply of the correct equipment, flexibility in the work schedule such as changing working hours in the summer, the cultivation of a culture of safety and health, more on-the-spot checks as well as stricter punishments for those who break the rules.

“Safety and health in the workplace is a human right and bad practices and other actions that endanger the lives of workers should not be tolerated,” he said.