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Manuel López
Seville
Friday, 20 December 2024, 13:10
The occupational accident rate in Andalucía has increased in 2024. A total of 88,921 work-related accidents have been recorded, according to data collected up to 31 October, which means 760 more such incidents than in the same period in 2023 (88,161). The region is responsible for 16.76% of all work-related accidents in Spain. This increase affects not only the total number of accidents but also their severity, with a total of 109 fatalities, compared to 103 the previous year, an increase of 5.8%. This is equivalent to one occupational death almost every three days.
Of the total number of accidents registered 87,891 were classed as minor, which represents the vast majority. According to data provided by the Junta's department of employment, Enterprise and Self-Employment in collaboration with central government's Ministry of Labour, Migration and Social Security, there were 921 serious accidents. This shows the prevalence of minor incidents as well as the persistence of situations of extreme risk leading to fatal outcomes.
Those accidents occurring during working hours account for the majority of cases, with 75,813 incidents, of which 75,022 were minor, 705 serious and 86 fatal.
On the other hand, 'in itinere' accidents - those occurring while commuting to or from work - totalled 13,108 cases, including 12,869 minor, 216 serious and 23 fatal. This figure is particularly significant when compared to the 12,662 that occurred from January to October of the previous year. This difference represents an increase of more than 3.5%.
The regional spread of accident rates shows significant differences between provinces. Seville leads in the number of accidents, with 23,370 cases, followed by Malaga, which reported 18,985 and ranks as the province with the highest number of occupational fatalities, with 24 deaths. Cadiz recorded 11,732 accidents while Almeria registered 8,143 incidents and 18 fatalities. Cordoba and Granada have similar figures, with 7,777 and 7,660 accidents respectively and ten and eleven fatalities. Meanwhile, Huelva with 6,150 accidents and Jaen with 5,104 are the Andalusian provinces with the lowest number of occupational accidents.
The number of fatalities across Andalucía mostly follow proportionally the total number of accidents by province. Almeria and Seville topped the list with 18 deaths each, followed by Malaga with 17. Jaen recorded 15 deaths, while Cadiz and Granada had 12 and 11 deaths respectively. Cordoba and Huelva recorded the lowest figures, with ten and eight people losing their lives in 2024.
Analysis by gender revealed a marked inequality: men account for the majority, with 61,119 incidents of this type and 101 fatalities (92.66% of occupational fatalities). Women, on the other hand, are recorded in only 27,802 incidents and eight fatalities (7.34%). This disparity is closely related to the greater presence of men in high-risk sectors for accidents such as construction, heavy industry and agriculture.
The occupational accident rate also varies according to economic sector. The services sector is the most affected, with 54,802 accidents, representing 61.7% of the total. This is due to the high concentration of workers in activities such as hospitality, commerce and transport, where risks such as trips and falls and repetitive strain injuries predominate.
The construction industry, with 14,257 accidents (16% of the total), has as its main risk factors high-rise work, the use of heavy machinery and changing working conditions on different work sites.
The heavy industry category reports 12,459 incidents (14% of the total), with hazards associated with the handling of machinery, chemicals and heavy materials. Finally, agriculture reports 7,403 accidents (8.3% of the total), being the least represented sector in this area.
In the younger age groups, 96 occupational accidents were recorded among 16-17 year olds, rising sharply to 936 for 18-19 year olds. In the 20-24 age group, incidents rise sharply to 6,736 cases, and reach 8,379 among workers aged 25-29. The 30-34 age group totals 9,949, while workers aged 35-39 experience a significant increase with 10,515 cases.
This upward trend reaches its peak between the ages of 40 and 44, with 12,556 occupational accidents. Subsequently, although still high, the occupational accident rate starts to decrease. Between the ages of 45 and 49, 13,084 cases were reported, while workers aged 50 to 54 are recorded for 11,690 accidents. In the 55-59 age group, the number of accidents falls to 8,932 and for the 60-64 age group the figure drops to 5,590 cases. Finally, among people aged 65 and over, 949 incidents of this type were recorded.
As to the nature of these accidents, hitting a stationary object while the worker was in motion were the most frequent type of accident within the total number of incidents (27,914) and a common problem in the construction and services industry sectors. This was followed by collisions with a moving object or just collisions (24,752 accidents), common in activities related to transport and the use of machinery. Physical overexertion and exposure to radiation accounted for 19,416 cases, reflecting the incidence of activities involving heavy loads or repetitive body movements or positions.
On the other hand, contact with sharp, cutting or hard agents resulted in 8,477 accidents, especially in manufacturing and construction, while those in which workers were crushed, trapped or suffered amputations amounted to 2,709 cases linked to the use of heavy equipment and machinery.
Contact with electrical current, fire, extreme temperatures or hazardous substances generated 3,505 accidents, a frequent risk in industrial and agricultural sectors. Bites or kicks (from animals or people) accounted for 1,248 cases. Drowning, being trapped or entangled in something accounted for 199 accidents, generally associated with work in hazardous or confined environments.
Finally, 365 incidents were recorded with no information available on their specific cause, and 180 mishaps related to non-traumatic medical incidents such as heart attack or a stroke, and other unclassified occurrences.
Julián Vileya, secretary for Labour Relations and Employment for the big trade union UGT Andalucía, in statements to media explains that the work carried out by the Junta is not to interpret the data, "it only publishes them."
The alarming statistics of the previous three years prompted the 'Plan de Choque' - an urgent action plan - to prevent occupational hazards. "The year 2022 was an unprecedented disaster in terms of prevention," he says, adding that, "if we look at that year, we can say that the index has gone down, but that would be comparing it to a debacle."
On the 'workplace health strategy' laid out for Andalucía, he states that "we do not support it because there are no new measures." With the data handled by the UGT, which includes November, "we have counted 114 deaths."
This trade union representative is convinced that "in Spain, people work withoutsafety and withrisk", so there are "sectors in which workers are exposed to very dangerous situations."
Accidents 'in itinere' in 2024 have increased by more than 3.5%. "This is one of the big problems this year," says Vileya. This is due to the fact that "many people commute to work every day and there is no mobility plan or flexibility plan for work." He adds that gaining access to certain cities for work is "disastrous".
Royal Legislative Decree 5/2000 sets out different types of penalties for occupational risk prevention , ranging from minor (incurring a fine of 45 to 485 euros), medium (486 to 975 euros) and maximum (976 to 2,450 euros). According to Vileya this leads to "numerous infractions" for non-compliance with the law on occupational risk prevention and this is because "there is still a lot of work to be done."
To this, he added the importance of incorporating "many more labour inspectors." He also called for "the creation of the role for a regional delegate for the prevention of occupational hazards in smaller companies", because "they have no union representation and this is where most accidents occur." He is aware that the number of fatalities is striking and such deaths have "irreversible consequences", but he is also concerned about the huge volume of incidents that then require sick leave, because, despite being minor, they amount to a lot of lost work days and this entails a "significant economic cost for the region that is difficult to deal with."
The UGT explained that "between a fatal accident and a serious one there can be just a metre or a second. As for the serious incidents, we do not know the circumstances in which the person is left, the Junta only gives the overall figure, but within them there are different consequences that the worker may suffer."
Given the worrying situation in the province of Almeria in this area, where the serious accident rate has increased and there are situations of "exploitation" in some of the large-scale greenhouse complexes there, the UGT called for the "creation of a unit specialised in occupational risk prevention." It added that they consider it crucial to "strengthen the labs at the Andalusian institute for the prevention of occupational risks", as well as "guaranteeing the quality of prevention services."
Finally, Vileya argues that one of the key actions is to "raise awareness and sensitise the public through effective campaigns by the aforementioned institute." All of this must be accompanied by a "firm commitment to ensure that people go to work with decent wages and adequate working conditions", because "being at such risk is a factor that we cannot ignore in the fight against this problem."
The CCOO trade union expressed "deep concern" about the accident rate in Andalucía, especially in light of the "increase in fatalities" this year. The trend in terms of monthly figures is similar to that of recent months, but are "alarming data", besides also exceeding those recorded last year for the same period. As such the CCOO representative warns of the increase in accidents 'in itinere'.
This problem is worse in Jaen and Almeria, where the incidence of fatal accidents "has increased significantly. The construction and industry sectors stand out for a notable increase in the accident rate, while women are the main ones affected in accidents 'in itinere' and men in working hours", said the CCOO, adding that it is the younger population aged between 16 and 35 that "is the most vulnerable group."
The union argues that this is "a social and human drama" and that it requires "urgent measures", both from the Andalusian regional government and the Ministry of Labour in Madrid.
The CCOO secretary for occupational health, María José López, despite the poor figures, values the Plan de Choque against occupational accidents completed in August, but stresses the importance of the Third Strategy for Occupational Health in Andalucía, in force from 2024 to 2028. This strategy "prioritises the reduction of accidents and the improvement of working conditions." Among the actions envisaged are advice on protection procedures and systems, specific training for high-rise work, research projects on accidents 'in itinere' and studies on the migrant population, a group that is "especially vulnerable".
She also stressed the importance of "promoting good practices in occupational risk prevention." CCOO states that the social dialogue is "essential", but insists on the need for "greater investment".
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