182 workers killed on the job in July

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The Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG Assembly) released its July report of work-related deaths.

According to the report, 182 workers lost their lives in work-related accidents in 57 cities in Turkey and 2 countries abroad in July. The number of workers killed on the job in the first 7 months of 2023 has reached 1051.

116 workers were killed on the job in January, 195 in February, 130 in March, 123 in April,146 in May, and 159 in June. Since the beginning of the year, there have been almost 5 work-related casualties per day.

Of the workers who lost their lives in July, 6 were child workers, under the age of 14. Four child/youth workers were killed on the job, between the ages of 15-17, and 38 youth workers, between 18-29.

63 workers who were killed on the job in July were between 30-49, 47 between 50-64, and 15 over the age of 65. The ages of 9 workers could not be determined.

According to the figures of İSİG, the distribution of work-related accidents by industry in July was as follows:

Agriculture and forestry: 56 (22 workers and 34 farmers);
Transportation: 28;
Construction and road works: 21;
Municipal services and general work: 16;
Accommodation and entertainment: 10;
Trade, office, education, cinema: 9;
Energy: 8;
Food, sugar: 7;
Metal: 6;
Mining: 5;
Ship, shipyard, sea, port: 3;
Textile, leather: 2;
Press, journalism: 2;
Cement, soil, glass: 2;
Health, social services: 2;
Defense, security: 2;
Petrochemical, rubber: 1;
Wood, paper: 1 worker;
Industry of one worker could not be determined.

In July, the distribution of causes of death in work-related accidents was as follows:

Traffic accidents: 52;
Crushing, collapse: 35;
Electric shock: 22;
Falling from heights: 17;
Heart attack, stroke: 16;
Violence: 11;
Poisoning, drowning: 9;
Suicide: 6;
Explosion, burning: 5;
Cutting, detachment: 3;
Other causes: 6 workers.

İSİG highlighted the deaths of agricultural workers and working in excessive heat in their July report.

They stated that the period between April and October is the peak time for agricultural activities and that "due to the lack of precautions, this is the time when the most deaths occur for workers." They particularly emphasized that accidents caused by transporting workers in closed-panel vans, inappropriate vehicles, and tractor-trailers have resulted in deaths. This was the reason behind 21 out of the 56 deaths in the agriculture and forestry sector in July, 21.

"On July 22, a service minibus carrying agricultural workers who came from Sultandağı to pick cherries and sour cherries overturned in Çay district of Afyon, resulting in the death of eight workers, among whom one was a child worker. The minibus was old, and the 19-year-old driver didn't have a license," they noted.

İSİG also addressed work-related casualties resulting from extreme heat.

They mentioned the deaths of PTT worker Berran Kırmızıgül in Izmir and EDAŞ worker Erdem Ezgi in Osmaniye, stating that when precautions are not taken, workers have the 'right to refuse work'. However, they emphasized that this right remains largely theoretical as it can only be exercised by 'organized workers'. There is no legal regulation in Turkey related to working in extreme heat. They noted that the struggle for such regulations is a duty of the working class at all levels.

(HA/PE)