Deaths at work: an emergency. More than one per day in Italy, and rising across EU

Brussels – In Italy, there is at least one death at work every day. Whether it is due to distraction, poor safety or simple tragic fatality, in the end, the result does not change: people are dying at work in this country. This is the merciless snapshot taken by Eurostat, in the  freshly published data, which confirms a country suspended between a full-fledged national emergency and an established reality. Updated to 2023, the numbers indicate 473 deaths occurring while on duty. It means an average of 39 deaths per month, more than one per day. A figure that highlights a structural problem for Italy, which ranks second in the EU for fatal work accidents in 2023, as in 2013, again behind France, and has been the subject of debate in the European Parliament following one of many tragedies, the Esselunga construction site in Florence. 

In a decade, therefore, little has been done, and what little has been achieved is still not enough for the country to shake off this mournful reality. The number of fatal accidents has fallen from the peaks of 2020, when deaths at work rose to 776, or 64.6 per month, more than two per day. The reversal of trends and improvements achieved in Italy, to a certain extent, may give cause for optimism, given that the phenomenon is still too prevalent, not only in Italy. 

The great paradox, when it comes to deaths at work, is that Italy nevertheless offers a positive example compared to the European Union where, between 2022 and 2023, the number of fatal accidents rose from 3,286 to 3,298 cases, with a similar situation at eurozone level (from 2,657 to 2,668), proving that safety at work, prevention, and training are widespread problems and not limited to the Italian labour market alone.