Seven out of the 158 workers who died in work-related accidents were children in January
According to the monthly report published by the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG), at least 158 workers lost their lives in work-related accidents in the first month of the year.
Stating "at least 5 workers died while working every day," the İSİG Meclisi provided the information that in January, 3 child workers aged 14 and under, 4 child/young workers aged 15-17, 32 workers aged 18-29, 62 workers aged 30-49, 43 workers aged 50-64, and 5 workers aged 65 and over lost their lives. The age of 9 workers could not be determined.
The İSİG report highlighted child labor and provided the following information:
"Muhammed Şahin and Vefa from Turkmenistan (last name unknown), both 17 years old, lost their lives in a fire that broke out in a container where they were staying on the premises of a metal workshop. Miraz Terazi, 12 years old, and Faruk Alkan, 14 years old, lost their lives during a long-haul truck journey they embarked on with their families to learn about work, coinciding with school holidays. Erol Can Yavuz, 15 years old, and Arda Tonbul, 14 years old, lost their lives while working in wood and metal factories under the MESEM program. Mehmet Ali Nar, 17 years old, lost his life while working as a motorcycle courier."
"MESEM, by marketing child labor under the guise of vocational education and popularizing it under the name 'student' by saying 'one day at school, four days at the workplace,' intertwines education with industry and thus throws children into the labor market as cheap labor force under the auspices of the state. This situation especially brings child labor deaths, which frequently occur in seasonal agriculture, into urban areas and makes them visible. MESEM children are present in 922 districts across 81 cities; they are members of every family or children we know."
The İSİG reported that in January, the highest number of losses occurred in the construction and road construction sector. 45 workers lost their lives in this sector.
According to the report, the sectors following the construction sector were the transportation sector with 22 worker deaths, and the agriculture, forestry sector with 16 deaths (10 workers and 6 farmers). This was followed by 11 worker deaths in the trade, office, education, and cinema sector, as well as 9 workers each in the metal, accommodation-entertainment, and municipal-general works sectors.
The report noted that out of the 45 worker deaths in the construction and road construction sector, 17 occurred in the earthquake-hit provinces:
"With the commencement of construction in 11 earthquake-prone cities, news of worker deaths started to emerge. The deaths of 17 construction workers occurred in these cities. It is stated that more occupational safety measures are taken in construction projects undertaken by the state. However, whether the construction is carried out by the public sector, major private companies, or contractors, the risk remains the same. This month, at least 6 workers lost their lives in construction projects subcontracted by TOKİ (The Housing Development Administration)."
Additionally, the İSİG report noted that Turkish construction companies continue to experience fatalities in their overseas projects. In January, İSİG identified that 4 workers lost their lives in work-related accidents while working on these construction projects abroad.
The distribution of work-related accidents in January according to their causes is as follows:
- Crushing, collapse: 28 workers
- Traffic accidents, transportation mishaps: 27 workers
- Falling from height: 25 workers
- Heart attack, brain hemorrhage: 23 workers
- Explosion, burning: 11 workers
- Poisoning, drowning: 9 workers
- Suicide: 9 workers
- Object impact, falling: 7 workers
- Electric shock: 4 workers
- Violence: 3 workers
- Cutting, amputation: 1 worker
- COVID-19: 1 worker
- Other reasons: 10 workers.
(HA/PE)