1,793 workers killed, 2,684 injured in 2008
Staff Correspondent
Around 1,793 workers and day labours of different sectors throughout the country were killed and around 2,684 were injured last year at their respective workplaces due to absence of adequate occupational safety and negligence of authorities concerned.
This was disclosed by participants at a discussion meeting on “chemical hazard and management at workplace: problems and challenges in Bangladesh” organized by Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foun-dation at the National Press Club on Wednesday.
The participants said workers and day labours working in different garment industries, construction firms and transport sectors meet the tragic end of their lives due to negligence of authorities concerned and absence of adequate occupational safety at their work places and such trend continue to increase. Most of the workers were killed when they were on duties at their respective workplaces or on the way of their workplaces.
Fire incidents at workplaces, collapse of buildings and torture by the owners of the factories or organisations and road accident claimed the lives of the workers. Although various assurances and commitments have been given by the authorities but nothing is implemented yet.
Around 443 day labours, 48 rice mill, 41 steel and 36 jute mill labours were killed in occupational accidents. Besides, around 135 agriculture and 43 brickfield labours, 137 domestic helps, 87 hawkers, 81 government employees, 261 fishermen and 488 others were killed in occupational accidents last year, according to a study report prepared by the organisation.
Meanwhile, some 388 workers were killed and 277 others were injured in incidents during traveling to and from the workplaces while 562 transport workers were killed and 294 others injured in road accidents.
On the other hand, 119 were killed and 28 others were injured in different incidents like lightning and animal attack at their workplaces from January 1 to December 1, 2008, according to their report.
The highest number of causalities 1350 took place in garment sector, transport sector 1063 and construction sector 222 during the period. The lack of proper implementation of law, dangerous and old installations, ineffective machineries and inadequate safety apparatus are the main causes behind the causalities, the report said.
During the discussion, Hafizur Rahman executive director of Teledata Marine Solution Ltd said “we use thousands of chemical constituents to run industries and business which can hamper health of workers. The workers of different industries like garment, jute, rubber and lather industries are becoming victim of tuberculosis within five years after their retirement. So the code of using chemical constituents should be followed or else that will hamper health of people.”
Courtesy of The Bangladesh Today
