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Dangerous height: construction workers in Berlin-Mitte (symbol picture)
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Rainer Jensen / picture alliance / dpa
Many people are killed in the German construction sector. Up to and including September, 69 construction workers had an accident on construction sites, as the newspapers of the Funke media group report, citing the construction trade association (BG BAU). According to the statistics, the most common causes of death were falls from a great height and injuries from falling parts. In the same period of the previous year, 74 construction workers had died by September, at the end of which there was a record high with 97 deaths.
According to the report, the construction union IG BAU expressed dismay at the numbers. "Statistically this year, a construction worker had a fatal accident every four days," said Federal Board Member Carsten Burckhardt, responsible for occupational safety, the Funke newspapers. The total number of 77,115 reportable accidents at work is also at an alarmingly high level. “The number of fatal accidents is alarming. It threatens to reach the sad record high of the previous year. "
Most accidents happen in smaller companies.
"We urgently need to create a different awareness," said Burckhardt, according to the report.
At the same time, more state health and safety controls are needed.
"A higher control pressure is necessary for the companies that do not take occupational safety really seriously," said the IG-BAU occupational health and safety expert.
"Just relying on personal responsibility is not enough."
According to the report, the number of fatal commuting accidents has decreased.
Six construction workers were killed on the way to or from a construction site by September.
In the previous year there were 13 fatal commuting accidents in the same period.
kig / dpa
