At least 1,727 workers were killed, and 2,307 injured, in workplace accidents that took place during the year 2013, said a press release issued by the Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE).
Among the deceased, 1,401 workers were killed in accidents in the formal sector, while the remaining 326 killed were working in informal sector at the time.
The information was gathered in a survey of the OSHE that was accumulated from “monitoring fifteen leading national daily newspapers of the country and reports of [OSHE] field offices in different parts of the country,” said the press release.
However, workplace accidents shot up in garments, construction, agricultural and ship breaking industries, it added.
In formal sectors, casualties are high in the garment sector, which experienced 1,170 deaths and 1,748 injuries. The Rana Plaza building collapse alone saw death of 1,135 and injury of 1,248 workers. More than 26 workers were killed in accidents in the ship-breaking sector, while 40 sustained injuries.
In informal sectors, the agricultural sector saw the death of 100, and injury of 27. Lightning killed most of agricultural workers who died.
