Filenews 6 December 2020 - Adamos Adamou
The concerns expressed from time to time by the social partners, as well as the need for further measures to reduce accidents at work, are confirmed by the latest statistical report of the Department of Labour Inspection. In this one, which was only a few days ago notified to the social partners, last year's accidents at work are analysed, with the scene in 2019 showing no significant differences compared to 20118.
The main feature last year was the upward trend in accidents at work, but also the fact that unskilled and Community workers are the most vulnerable. In particular, last year, as in 2018, it continued, albeit to a very small extent, but with a stabilising trend, the increase in the number of accidents notified to the Department of Labour Inspection (an increase of 0.5%), following the large increase in the number of accidents observed in the period 2015-2017 (increase of 29.7%). , during which there was an overall decrease of 35%. In 2013-2015, there was a 5.2% increase in the number of accidents in 2013-2014, followed by a decrease of 1.4% in 2014-2015. According to the report, a total of 2,168 accidents were reported to the five Provincial Labour Inspection Offices in 2019, 12 more than in 2018. Most accidents occurred in Limassol and amounted to 709 (32.7% of the total) and Nicosia with the number amounting to 624 (28.8%). In Paphos there were 317 accidents at work in 2019 (14.6%), in Larnaca 305 (14.1%), and in Famagusta province 213 (9.8%).
Frequency reduction
Despite the slight increase in the number of accidents, last year saw a 1.3% decrease in the Accident Frequency Index (G/O) compared to 2018. In 2018-2019 there was a 2.8% decrease in the Board of Directors, following the 1.3% decrease observed in 2017-2018, for the first time since 2014-2015. With regard to the most important sectors of economic activity, based on the number of employees and the number of accidents they had in the year 2019, (602.87) the hotel and restaurant sector (1665.07), the manufacturing sector (1377.70), transport and storage (984.54) and construction (959.93). The Department of Labour Inspection notes, however, in its report that compared to the year 2018, there was a large decrease of 10.35% presented by the Board of Directors in the construction sector, while noting that there was also a decrease in the Hotels - Restaurants and Processing sectors by 7.2% and 4.0% respectively. However, last year the highest number of accidents, as in the year 2018, is recorded in the hotel-restaurant sector 572, (26.4%) followed by the manufacturing sector 378 (17.4%), construction 333 (15.4%) and construction 333 (15.4%). wholesale and retail trade 312 (14.4%).
Increase in construction
In its analysis, the Department meanwhile records the continued increase in the rate of accidents in the construction sector, compared to the previous two years (2017: 12.2% - 2018: 14.4%) in contrast to the continuous decrease observed during the period 2012 - 2016 (2012: 18.8%, 2013: 16.3%, 2014: 11.4%, 2015: 9.8%, 2016: 9.0%). accidents in the year 2019, were presented, as in 2018, in order in the categories of premises where 250 – 499 and 50 – 249 employees were employed (1636.0 and 1008.5 respectively) relative to the average (602.9). 2) over 500 (394.4) and finally premises with number of employees 1 to 9 (391.0). Comparing the results for the year 2019 with those for 2018, it is noted that the Board of Accidents shows an increase in the category of premises where 250-249 employees (6.2%) were employed, while in all other categories it shows a decrease. , 44 in 2018 and 35 in 2019). Also a large increase in the Board of Directors (16.2%) is observed in premises where 50-249 employees are employed, but there is a significant decrease in the D.C. (19.4%) in premises where 1-9 employees are employed.
More vulnerable foreigners to accidents
The REPORT of the SEE confirms, in the meantime, that foreign workers remain more vulnerable than Cypriot workers, since the accident frequency index for foreign workers, whether they are Community or from third countries, is higher than the Board of Directors for Cypriot workers. In absolute numbers, however, the accidents that occurred in Cypriots were more. The Department reports that 64.67% of accidents last year occurred in Cypriots, 27.77% in citizens of other Member States of the European Union and the remaining 7.56% in non-EU foreigners.
According to the report, taking into account the corresponding number of employees (data from the Statistical Office's 2019 Labour Force Survey), the Frequency Index by Nationality is estimated at 499.97 (from 516.25 in 2018) for Cypriots, 1273.80 for Community (1340.77 in 2018) and 513.46 for foreigners from third countries (594.06). According to the above data, the Board of Directors of accidents that occurred in Cypriot employees and foreign employees coming from non-EU countries is below the average of the Board of Directors 602.87, as opposed to the Board of Directors for employees from other EU Member States which is well above the average. Compared to 2018 there is a slight decrease in the Board of Directors for Cypriot workers (3.15%), and employees from other EU Member States (5%), while there is a greater decrease in foreign non-EU workers (13.6%).
According to data prepared by the Department of Labour Inspection, 71.4% of accidents last year occurred in men and the remaining 28.6% in women. It is noted that the corresponding employment rates were, according to the Statistical Office's 2018 Labour Force Survey, 51.4% male and 48.6% female and the corresponding D.S. 836.22 and 355.64. The largest proportion of accidents in the year 2019, as in 2018, occurred in the group of unskilled workers (42.1%) followed by the group of salesmen and service workers with a percentage (19.3%). and (c) dislocations, sprains and dislocations (15.2%). Amputations account for a small proportion of all cases (24 accidents out of a total of 2168). , 1031 accidents (47.6%) followed by the ages of 45 - 64, 872 accidents (40.2%) and ages 18 - 24, 223 accidents (10.3%).
The picture was similar in the year 2018. The highest D.S. is presented in order in the age groups 15 - 24 (794.3), 45 - 64 (685.4), followed by the age groups 65+ (595.0) and 25 - 44 (522.1). As also noted in the report, the vast majority of accidents in 2019 were notified to the relevant provincial offices of the department by the notifications (oral or written) of the employers themselves (97.65%). and the remaining percentage (1.52%) through other sources. It should be noted that the annual statistical analysis of accidents at work is the guide of the Department of Labour Inspection with regard to the actions it develops to prevent accidents in workplaces and largely defines the Department's inspection programme.
