As Labour Day is observed, new figures from Eurostat highlight a positive trend in workplace safety across the EU, showing a 5% decrease in work-related accidents from 2017 to 2022. However, the figures also reveal ongoing challenges, including a concerning shortage of labour inspectors in many EU countries.
In 2022, there were 2.97 million non-fatal workplace accidents and 3,286 fatal work-related accidents in the EU, according to the latest Eurostat data. This translates to a ratio of roughly 905 non-fatal accidents for every fatal accident.
Although the overall number of accidents decreased by 4.6% compared to 2017, men were still more likely to be involved in workplace accidents. In 2022, approximately two-thirds of non-fatal accidents involved men. Between 2021 and 2022, the number of non-fatal accidents for men dropped by 519, while the number for women increased by 87,929.
Manufacturing accounted for the highest number of accidents, with 18% of the total, followed by human health and social work activities (15.8%) and construction (12.2%).
The fatal accident rate across the EU in 2022 was 1.66 fatalities per 100,000 employed people. Malta had the highest rate, with 5.28 fatal accidents per 100,000 employed people, followed by France and Bulgaria. The lowest rates were recorded in the Netherlands, Greece, Germany, Sweden, and Ireland.
In terms of non-fatal accidents, Denmark, France, Portugal, and Spain reported the highest rates per 100,000 employed people, while Romania and Bulgaria recorded the lowest, with fewer than 100 non-fatal accidents per 100,000 workers.
The most common injuries in the EU were wounds and superficial injuries, followed by dislocations, sprains, and strains. Concussions, internal injuries, and bone fractures were also prevalent.
Labour inspectors are critical in ensuring workplace safety and proper working conditions. However, the number of inspectors has declined worldwide between 2009 and 2022, even as employment has risen, according to data from the International Labour Organization (ILOSTAT).
A 2021 study by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) revealed that more than a third of European countries no longer meet the ILO’s standard of having one labour inspector per 10,000 workers.
Germany, France, and Spain employ 6,009, 2,175, and 2,115 labour inspectors, respectively, according to ILOSTAT data.
“In some contexts, the type of contract, status, and working conditions of inspectors are worsening too, leading to a deskilling of inspectors often accompanied by cuts in equipment and material resources, affecting the effectiveness of the inspectorate,” ILOSTAT noted.
