At least 188 workers killed in June

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At least 188 workers lost their lives in June, according to the monthly report of the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG).

The report also mentioned the explosion at a fireworks factory in Sakarya province, where seven workers died. "The operation buildings resemble chicken farms rather than a factory where an explosive substance is produced," it said, citing statements of specialists who inspected the factory in previous years. 

The relationship between capital owners' organizations and the state is where to look to understand how a factory that has deficiencies in almost all aspects can remain operative until this time, said İSİG.

934 workers died in six months

İSİG obtained information on 81 percent of the deaths from national media outlets and 19 percent from local press outlets, colleagues and families of the killed workers, occupational safety specialists, workplace doctors and unions.

• In June, at least 188 workers died in occupational homicides, bringing the toll for the first half of the year to 934.
• 147 of the killed workers were salaried employees and 41 were working for their own behalf.
• Four of the killed workers were women. Among the 184 male workers who were killed, eight were children and eight were refugees.
• Occupational homicides of women workers occurred in the agriculture and health sectors.
• Only three of the killed workers were unionized.
• The most common causes of death were traffic/shuttle accidents, collapse, heart attack, falling from a height, violence, Covid-19 and electric shock.
• The highest number of deaths occurred in the sectors of agriculture, construction, transportation, trade/office, municipality/general, health, security, food, textile, woodworking and energy.
• Occupational homicides occurred in 55 cities of Turkey and five other countries.
• The highest number of deaths occurred in İstanbul, Konya, Sivas, Aydın, Kocaeli and Antep. (TP/VK)