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Balance 2010: 157 workers die from work-related accident in construction

Santiago Cubero, Secretary of health and environment of fecoma-cc oo03/01/2011

on January 3, 2011

According to the data that we have been collecting in the Federation of construction, wood and Allied CC OO (Fecoma), during the year 2010 have died a total of 157 workers belonging to the sectors of construction, wood and Allied at working dayfour of them in itinere. Also, other 72 have been injured by gravity.

These figures reveal a slight reduction in the number of casualties labour compared to 2009, that our Federation registered the death of 176 workers in the Tagus. However, if we take into account the number of workers registered in the sector during both periods, the number of deaths from accident at work in our sectors has been proportionately higher in the last year.

Thus, according to figures from the survey of population (LFS), in the fourth quarter of 2009 there were 1.370.400 employees in construction, while the latest data from the EPA, relating to the third quarter of 2010, reveal a decline of 115.300 workers with regard to the last quarter of last year (1.255.100).

"Despite the reduction in the number of deaths this year compared to 2009, we must remember that the fact that a single worker loses life in his job is something intolerable"

Leading causes of death: falls from height and crushing

From Fecoma-CC OO return to denounce the significant number of claims labor produced in our sectors, as a result of accidents in height. And that, 45 per cent of work-related accident in construction deaths occurred as a result of this type of accidents during 2010.

Second are the crushing, adding 32% of fatal accidents in the Tagus. Then followed the shock (8%) and attacks (6%). These recent mishaps have been, especially those produced between operators dedicated to road maintenance.

Also, the rest of the most frequent causes of workplace accidents in our sectors, include the accidents produced by electricity or the current electric (4%).

We don't forget the accidents in itinere, more if possible with the work done by Fecoma through the campaign 'don't want to have to tell you'. Through this action, the Federation has been alerted to workers and employers in the construction the dangers generated by these accidents. For this reason, throughout the year has distributed information materials in works and workplaces of all Spain, with tips for preventing this type of claims.

Workers aged between 40 and 55 years of age, the most punished group

During 2010, the largest number of victims by accident in construction had aged between 40 and 55 years, represented 34% of the sinister mortals in the Tagus.

Then are workers between 30 and 40 years (25%); followed by those whose ages range between 20 and 30 years (11%).

Also, it should be noted that 13% of the claims for work-related accident in construction have occurred among workers over the age of 60 years of age. On this aspect, since Fecoma not we rested and we again urge the Minister of labour, Valeriano Gómez, complying with the pledges made by his predecessor, which claimed to create a technical Board of dialogue to study the proposal of retirement early in the 60 years of age for workers at work.

Autonomous communities with more workplace accidents: Andalusia and Valencian Community

With a total of 22 deaths (13% of the total in Spain), Andalusia has become autonomous community with more deaths by accident in construction during 2010. Followed by the Valencian Community, with 17 deaths by accident (10%) and Galicia with 16 (10%).

Then, with 14 deaths, is Catalonia, representing 9% of the total registered by our Federation labour accidents in construction during the period.

Our assessment

From the Department of occupational health and environment Fecoma we have very clear that, in view of the data of this year 2010, many will be who will be saying that there has been an effective of accidents decrease, but we must be cautious and proceed on the basis that a single worker who has lost their lives in his job is something intolerable.

From Fecoma we believe that the descent in the figures has multiple readings. On the one hand understand that it is paying off all the work being done by the Federation of construction wood and CC OO related na through awareness-raising campaigns. All of this together with the effective presence of our trade unionists in the cliffs, to monitor that work be performed in the proper conditions.

"In many workplace collective and individual protection measures are conspicuous by his absence"

On the other hand, that the visits that are made through the joint organ of prevention in construction, under the auspices of the Labour Foundation of construction, they are a guarantor that prevention is to be applied in conditions are neither more nor less than that the law requires.

But even so the number of deceased is disproportionate to population that currently work in our sectors. Fecoma comes claiming that in many workplace collective and individual protection measures conspicuous by their absence, to such an extent that we are coming to work in conditions so deplorable that they remember only from periods prior to the entry into force of the law on prevention of occupational risks.

Therefore those who hide behind the crisis to justify that budgetary allocations for prevention are cut, and in many cases non-existent, should be eradicated in the sector with steady hand. Fecoma understands that if there are companies where prevention is of paramount importance - companies where the framework of labour relations is something standard, usual, and that applied preventive effective systems in line with the assumed responsibility we have towards their workers - all those operating in the sector should follow this line and, if not, go away.

Fecoma continues to work to make this macabre statistics cut with effectiveness and achievement of zero in all our sectors accidents. Because every life matters.

Santiago Cubero is the Secretary of health and environment of the Federación Estatal de construction, wood and Allied of Comisiones Obreras (Fecoma-CC OO), a body which ensures the socio-political, professional and moral interests of workers in sectors such as constructionwood and public works. Another objective of the Federation is the protection of the health and physical integrity of workers and effective assistance to them and their families, in the event of disability, accident, disease, partial and total unemployment and old age.