1,359 killed in occupational accidents in Turkey in first 9 months: report

Turkey recorded 1,359 deaths in work-related accidents in the first nine months of this year, Turkish media reported on Tuesday, citing the findings of a report by the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG).

According to the report published on the İSİG website on Wednesday, 52 minors, 86 women and 75 migrants were among the 1,359 people who died in workplace accidents in Turkey in the first nine months of 2022.

According to the report, while 120 people lost their lives in January, this number increased to 189, the highest death number, in June.

At least 157 workers died in Turkey last month, while 186 died in August, 120 in January, 109 in February, 122 in March, 129 in April, 176 in May, 189 in June and 171 in July, the report said, adding that the most common causes of work-related deaths in the first nine months of the year were falling from heights, being crushed under heavy equipment and traffic accidents.

The majority of occupational accidents occurred in Turkey’s agriculture and construction sectors in the first nine months of this year, with each comprising 20 percent of the total, followed by transportation at 12 percent, according to the report.

Turkey, where workplace accidents are nearly a daily occurrence, has been suffering from low work safety standards for decades.