Work-related accidents and deaths in Italy increased in January over the same month in 2023, the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (Inail) reported on Thursday.
Some 42,166 work-related accident reports were submitted to Inail in the first month of 2024, a rise of 6.8% compared to January 2023.
Of these, 45 were fatal (+4.7%).
Inail said the number of occupational diseases reported also rose by 30.7% to 6,218.
Workplace health safety is back in the spotlight after structural collapse at a supermarket construction site in Florence on February 16 left five workers dead and three more injured.
The government has since announced new measures to improve safety particularly in the construction industry including administrative penalties for illegal and undeclared labour, there criminalisation of procurement offences, coordination between public prosecutors on investigations into workplace health and safety related crimes, the introduction of a points-based license for contractors and self -employed people linked to compliance with workplace health and safety, tax and social security contributions regulations and the recruitment of more labor inspectors.
The measures have received a mixed response from unions.
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