Workplace Accident Monitoring Report 2022
Duration: 01 January- 29 December 2022
Date of report publish: 30 December 2022
Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE Foundation) monitored workplace accident in 2022 as part of its regular activities. This monitoring covered from 1st January to 29th December 2022.
A total of 1195 workers have been injured in accidents in various sectors across the country while performing their professional duties. Out of this, a total of 246 workers in the formal sector and 949 workers in the informal sector have been injured. It should be noted here that last year 2021, a total of 1089 workers were injured while performing their professional duties.
In 2022, a total of 967 people were killed and 228 people were injured out of the 1195 workers who suffered accidents at work. A total of 152 people died and 94 people were injured in the institutional sector. A total of 815 people died and a total of 134 people were injured in the informal sector.
Table 01: 2022 Worker Safety Survey Report Information: Statistics on casualty of workers in formal and non-formal sector in 2022 while performing professional duties:
Gender-wise data on accidents at work – Of the 967 fatalities in the institutional sector, 24 were female workers and 943 were male workers. And among the 228 people who were injured in the informal sector, 28 were female workers and 190 were male workers.
Sector wise picture of accidents at work –Out of the 967 workers who were injured in the institutional sector in 2022, the highest number of workers were killed in the transport sector. The total number of casualties in this sector was 476, of which 425 were killed and 51 wounded, which was 40 percent of the total casualties. In terms of casualties, the service sector is next to the transport sector. A total of 270 workers were injured in this sector, out of which 211 died and 59 were injured which is 23 percent of the total casualties. This service sector includes workshops, gas, electricity supply companies, hospitals, hotels/restaurants, government service providers etc. After service sector is agriculture sector. A total of 139 workers were injured in this sector, out of which 124 died and 15 were injured, including crop production workers, fishermen, tea workers, cattle and chicken farmers etc. Which is 12 percent of the total casualties. Next is the construction sector. A total of 134 workers were killed in various accidents in the construction sector this year, of which 105 were killed and 29 injured, accounting for 11 percent of total casualties. And the total number of casualties in the manufacturing sector is 100, of which 67 were killed and 33 were injured, which is 18 percent of the total casualties. A total of 54 people were injured in the garment industry this year. Of these, 28 died and 26 were injured, which is 4 percent of the total casualties. And the total number of casualties in the shipwreck industry is 22, including 7 killed and 15 injured, which is 2% of the total casualties.
Monthly picture of accidents at workplace –
From January 1 to December 29, a total of 1195 working people were victims of accidents. This year the highest number of workers were injured in the month of August. The total number of casualties this month was 142, of which 117 were killed and 25 were injured. Also 81 in January, 79 in February, 75 in March, 99 in April, 96 in May, 102 in June, 120 in July, 139 in September, 116 in October, 78 in November. And a total of 68 workers were injured in the month of December (from 1-29).
A picture of the last one (1) decade of workplace accidents – OSHE Foundation research shows that in the last one (1) decade (2013-2022), a total of 15,259 workers were victims of workplace accidents, of which 9,558 were killed and 5,701 were injured. It should be noted here that it was not possible to collect data during the Corona crisis in 2020. The information for the month of September to December of this year has been added here. Table: 05 Comparative picture of workplace accidents in last 10 years: (2013-2022)
Methods of Monitoring Incidents of Accidents at Work:
The methods in which OSHE Foundation monitors workplace accidents is as follows:
a) bringing under scrutiny daily print, electronic and online news;
b) networks of volunteers and trade unions;
c) OSHE Foundation’s own field level data collector;
d) Conducting focus group discussions, interviews etc. in the accident area.
Newspapers monitored daily by OSHE Foundation in this monitoring process are: Prothom Alo, Ittefaq, Kaler Kanth, Samakal, Sangam, Janakanth, The Daily Star, The Daily Sun, New Age, Financial Express, Dhaka Tribune, Jae Jae Din, Banikbarta. , Dainik Yugantar, Nayadiganta etc. Also local level online portals, various television news were also under monitoring.
Limitations and barriers to safety at work:
- Lack of proper implementation of health and safety related guidelines mentioned in Bangladesh Labor Act, 2006 (Amended 2018) and Bangladesh Labor Rules 2015.
- Lack of necessary training of workers and lack of knowledge about occupational health and safety.
- Inadequate labor inspection system and understaffing.
- Avoiding the provision of safety committee in industries to a large extent
- Limitation of Boiler Inspection Department.
- Inhumane treatment of workers and non-listing of dangerous jobs.
Recommendations:
- To strengthen inspection system for proper implementation of health and safety provisions mentioned in Bangladesh Labor Act, 2006 (Amended 2018) and Bangladesh Labor Rules, 2015.
- Ensuring use of suitable personal protective equipment by workers at workplace.
- To increase the number of boiler inspectors.
- To provide orientation on National Occupational Health and Safety Policy, 2013 for industrial owners and managers.
- Establishment of Occupational Health and Safety Unit under the initiative of the Ministry of Labor and Employment and increasing the number of specialized doctors for the treatment of occupational diseases under the initiative of the Ministry of Health.
- Bringing the proprietary hospital located in the ship breaking yard area under government management and modernizing it.
- Increasing the scope of financial assistance from the Bangladesh Labor Welfare Fund under the management of the Ministry of Labor and Employment to the families of workers killed in accidents and injured workers in the informal sector.
- Establishment of joint labor inspection system under the initiative of Directorate of Inspection of Factories and Establishments (DIFE) and local government bodies.
- To undertake training programs to improve the working environment of small construction companies and to arrange employment insurance for every worker by the government.
- To provide financial assistance to the family of the missing worker after a reasonable period of time after the accident at work.
- Formation of effective safety committees in institutional and non-institutional sectors.
- Taking concerted action by workers, employers and labor related organizations to prevent accidents at work.
Report prepared by:
OSHE Foundation
House# 19, Road# 1, Block-A
Section- 6, Mirpur, Dhaka-1216.