'Fatal accidents at workplaces increasing'

Accidents at workplaces have been rising, though there has been a decline in deaths due to such mishaps, according to a latest report of International Labour Organisation.

Accidents at workplaces have been rising, though there has been a decline in deaths due to such mishaps, according to a latest report of International Labour Organisation (ILO).

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The estimated fatal accidents at workplaces rose from 351,000 in to 358,000 between 2001 to 2003 while the non-fatal category showed an increase from 268 million to 337 million in the same period, largely due to increase in workers globally, it said.

The report, "Beyond deaths and injuries: The ILOs role in promoting safe and healthy jobs", will be released at the 18th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work scheduled to be held tomorrow at South Korea's Seoul.

However, the overall deaths due to work-related diseases declined slightly from 2.03 million to 1.95 million and the total estimated number of deaths due to accidents and diseases too decreased slightly from 2.38 mn to 2.31 mn.

Though the industrialised countries have seen a steady decline in work-related accidents and diseases, this is not the case with countries undergoing rapid industrialisation and under-developed nations where a national Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) system has often not been properly enforced, the report said.