‘At least 175 workers lost their lives in September’

* Photo: AA

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The Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG) has released its monthly report on occupational homicides in September 2021.

The report has shown that at least 175 workers lost their lives last month while at least 1,674 workers died in the first 9 months of 2021.

Titled "We are Starving, Unemployed, Unable to Make Ends Meet, Losing our Lives While Working", the report is based on the news of the national press (67 percent) and the information given by the local media, colleagues and families of deceased workers, occupational safety specialists, workplace doctors, professional organizations and unions (33 percent).

According to the report, the distribution of occupational homicides by months has been as follows in 2021:

• At least 203 workers died in January,
• At least 142 workers died in February,
• At least 144 workers died in March,
• At least 258 workers died in April ,
• At least 239 workers died in May,
• At least 180 workers died in June,
• At least 155 workers died in July,
• At least 178 workers died in August,
• At least 175 workers died in September.

Some highlights from the September 2021 report are as follows:

Of the ones who lost their lives in occupational homicides, 18 were women and 157 were men. The occupational homicides of women took place in the sectors of agriculture, textile, press, education, bureau, transportation, healthcare, accommodation and security.

Five migrant/ refugee workers lost their lives. While three were from Syria, one was from Hungary and one was from Turkmenistan.

Five children lost their lives while working. The child workers were working in the sectors of agriculture, construction and accommodation.

There were 47 deceased workers at and over the age of 51. They were farmers and shopkeepers as well as workers in the fields of agriculture, mining, textile, press, bureau, education, trade, cement, metal, construction, transportation, ship, healthcare, municipal and general affairs.

The highest number of occupational homicides took place in the sectors of agriculture/ forestry, trade/ bureau/ education, construction/ road, healthcare, transportation, textile, municipal/ general affairs, metal, mining, accommodation, security, ship/ dock and chemistry.

• 17 workers and 11 farmers died in the agricultural sector.
• One third of the deaths took place in the industrial sector.
• COVID-19 deaths were on the increase: 53 deaths.

While 7 of the deceased workers (4 percent) were unionized, they were working in food, chemistry, bureau, healthcare and municipal sectors.

The distribution of occupational homicides by age groups were as follows in September 2021, according to the report:

• Three workers at and under the age of 14,
• Two workers in the 15-17 age group,
• 18 workers in the 18-27 age group,
• 92 workers in the 28-50 age group,
• 40 workers in the 51-64 age group,
• Seven workers at and over the age of 65,
• And 13 workers at an unknown/ unidentified age lost their lives in September 2021. (AÖ/SD)