'Significant drop' in number of work-related deaths in Spain
Occupational fatalities were down 12.7% in 2023, but that was still 721 families which were suddenly torn apart by the loss of a loved one
Lucía Palacios
Madrid
Wednesday, 14 February 2024, 15:37
Occupational fatalities totalled 721 in 2023 in Spain, a decrease of 12.7% compared to 2022, according to provisional data for December published on Tuesday (13 February) by the national Ministry of Labour. The number of work-related accidents which required the worker to take sick leave also fell last year – by 1.1% to 625,000 – of which the majority were minor injuries.
However, behind these numbers there are names, stories and dreams, illusions ... that suddenly disappear, with 721 families torn apart. One in three fatalities was the result of a heart attack or stroke, which are sometimes caused by the stresses and strains to which workers are subjected. And 91 workers died as a result of a road traffic accident, the same number who died as a result of a fall.
All sectors saw their number of fatalities fall last year compared to 2022, but the biggest decline was in the agricultural sector, where the overall fall was double, followed by industry and construction, with reductions above the overall average. The highest number of fatalities occurred in the services industry, which is the sector with the largest number of workers.
Sick leave
Similarly, accidents resulting in sick leave also decreased in 2023, although to a lesser extent; these decreased by 1.1% compared to the previous year. There were a total of 624,911 accidents, of which 539,584 occurred at the workplace (2.3% less in 2023 than 2022), and 85,327 were accidents that occurred travelling to or from work, with an annual increase of 7.3% last year. The vast majority of accidents at work are minor (almost 620,000) but 4,706 serious accidents were recorded, according to the statistics.
The unions praised this "significant improvement" in the accident rate, although they pointed out that the difference with respect to 2022 will be reduced when the data are consolidated, since the current definition of a fatal accident includes those deaths that occur up to 12 months after the date of the incident.
On Tuesday, the government announced that will shortly update the Law on the Prevention of Occupational Risks, which it is negotiating with the main authorities.
