Number of non-fatal workplace accidents down slightly in second half of 2021

Over 1,000 non-fatal accidents at the workplace were reported between July and December 2021, according to figures released by the National Statistics Office (NSO).

The NSO reported that administrative records showed that 1,194 non-fatal accidents took place, down by 2.1 per cent compared to the same period the previous year.

The majority of these accidents - 16.9 per cent - occurred in the manufacturing sector. Another 14.7 per cent of accidents occurred in the construction sector, followed by the transportation and storage sector (12.2 per cent).

When compared to the same period in 2020, the number
of accidents in the accommodation and food service activities increased by 35.

The largest share of accidents at work during the aforementioned period involved persons working in elementary occupations, followed by craft and related trades workers.

Almost half (45.8 per cent) of the injuries at work affected the upper extremities of the body, such as the fingers and hands. Wounds and superficial injuries, as well as dislocations, sprains and strains were the most common types of injuries, amounting to 691 and 283 cases respectively.

In the second half of 2021, 30.3 per cent of accidents at work took place in enterprises with 500 employees or more.

In 2021, 873 non-fatal accidents per 100,000 employed persons were reported. The highest standardised incidence rate of non-fatal accidents at work was recorded in manufacturing followed by construction and transportation and storage.