Workplace deaths surge in Bangladesh: 875 casualties reported in 2023

Workplace deaths in Bangladesh have soared to 875 in 2023 from 712 of the year before with the transport sector taking the lead.

This statistics revealed on Sunday represents a continued escalation over the past three years.

Safety and Rights Society conducted the study based on newspaper reports.

A total of 339 workers were killed in the transport sector (38.74%), followed by 185 people in the service sector (21.14%), 173 (19.77%) in the construction sector, 96 people in the manufacturing sector and 82 people in the agriculture sector, said the organisation's Executive Director Sekender Ali Mina in Dhaka.

Sekander underscored the need for increased monitoring by relevant authorities to prevent workplace accidents.

Blaming the authorities' negligence in inspecting for the rise in workplace accidents, he urged employers to perceive ensuring worker safety as an investment rather than a liability.

Sekander expressed hope that authorities would promptly address root causes by strengthening inspection departments, increasing capacity, formulating safety guidelines, and conducting risk assessments.

Reviewing the causes of death, the study revealed 446 individuals perished in road accidents, 117 in electrocution, 79 in fires and explosions, 70 in falls, 63 in lightning strikes, 38 from hard or heavy objects, 23 from structural collapses, 20 from exposure to chemicals, 10 from drowning, and 9 from other causes.

The primary factors contributing to workplace fatalities included road construction, vehicle fitness issues, unskilled drivers, an unregulated transport system, obstruction of law enforcement, and reckless traffic.

The Safety and Rights Society identified additional factors such as lack of permission for factory construction, insufficient safety training, unsafe practices, inefficiencies in chemical use, and non-use of personal protective equipment during work.