As many as 1,432 workers were killed and 502 were injured in their workplaces across the country in the outgoing 2023.
Non-governmental organization Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE) foundation revealed the information at a press conference at Nasrul Hamid Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) on Friday.
The foundation collected the data from 15 media outlets and their field-level sources.
OSHE’s Chairperson Saki Rizwana, Vice Chairperson Dr SM Morshed, Research and Monitoring Officer Nur Alam and Case Management Officer Nusrat Jahan were present on the occasion.
Presenting the report, Dr Morshed said 329 workers died in institutional workplaces in 2023 while the death toll in non-institutional workplaces was 1,103.
The data shows that the highest 637 workers met their end in the transport sector.
During this period, 220 daily labourers died and 76 sustained injuries in their respective workplaces, 149 died and 72 were wounded in the construction sector, 146 died and 10 were injured in agriculture (including 71 killed by lightning), 64 died and 89 were injured in the garment industry and 94 died and 15 were injured in manufacturing.
Fifty-three people were killed and 22 injured in the fishing sector, 26 died and 22 injured in the services sector, 17 died and 9 injured in the ceramic sector, 4 died and 17 injured in the leather industry, 11 died and six injured in brick kilns, 7 died and 29 injured in shipwreck or shipbreaking.
On the other hand, one tea worker died and six others sustained injuries, and three were killed and two injured in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
The report mentioned that road accidents, electrocution, fire, collapse of buildings or structures, lightning, gas cylinder explosion, violence, physical abuse of domestic workers, wall-building-roof and landslides were the major reasons for casualties at workplaces.
The OSHE put forward some recommendations that included intensifying monitoring in applying the health and safety rules mentioned in Bangladesh Labour Law-2006 (amended in 2018) and Bangladesh Labour Rules-2015.
It also recommended the formation of a safety committee comprising labourers and owners like the apparel sector and inclusion of the provision of paying Tk10 lakh and Tk5 lakh to the family of a dead and injured worker in the Labour Law.
The inclusion of the provision of rehabilitation of injured workers and the introduction of an Employment Injury Scheme (EIS) in all industrial sectors were also recommended.
