Before we show you the most important statistics, it’s important to understand exactly what we mean when we talk about workplace accidents in an employment relationship. When we talk about a workplace accident, we’re referring to any physical injury a worker sustains as a result of work performed for an employer, whether or not it results in a leave of absence.
Although one might assume that, due to COVID-19 and the resulting drop in productivity (including layoffs and temporary furloughs), the number of workplace accidents should have fallen significantly, the fact is that last year there were 485,365 workplace accidents resulting in sick leave—only 23% fewer than in 2019.
Although the number of workplace accidents declined last year, a total of 780 people died in workplace accidents in 2020, a 2% increase from the previous year. According to statistics released annually by the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy, there were 595 deaths during the workday, 53 more than in 2019. The remaining 113 occurred while commuting from home to work.
It is often assumed that workplace accidents result in the worker taking sick leave, but this is not true; the statistics show that 518,979 workplace accidents were also reported without sick leave. Therefore, the total number of accidents—including those with and without sick leave—reaches 1,004,344.
As for minor and serious accidents that occur during the workday and on the way to work, the most common ones in 2020 were:
- traffic accidents;
- traffic accidents;
- physical overexertion leading to musculoskeletal injuries;
- collision or impact with a moving object;
- contact with sharp, pointed, or hard objects.
Second, these were the most common fatal accidents that occurred in 2020:
- heart attacks, strokes, or other natural causes;
- traffic accident;
- get trapped, be crushed, or suffer an amputation;
- collision or impact with a moving object
- worker's fall;
- drowning in a liquid.
The economic sectors with the highest number of fatal accidents are agriculture and the industrial sector.
At Grupo TICE Ingenieros, our team is here to advise you on any aspects of industrial machinery safety you may need. Feel free to contact us at 961 55 40 72 or by email at comercial@grupotice.es.
