The hidden massacre: 174 workers died in August in work-related accidents

The Health and Safety Labor Council (ISIG) has published its August 2021 report on work-related accidents in Turkey.

The report indicated that 174 workers lost their lives in August and 1,494 workers lost their lives in the first eight months of 2021. While 150 of the 174 workers killed were employees, 24 were self-employed.

Seven of the workers who died in August were women killed in agriculture, trade, healthcare and accommodation.

According to the ISIG report, 16 refugee workers were among the workers who lost their lives in August.

The highest number of work-related deaths were reported in the fields of agriculture/forestry, construction/road building, transportation, healthcare, metal, security, trade, accommodation, energy, municipal/general affairs, mining, textile, ship/dock, chemistry and wood.

The report said that 21 workers and 16 farmers died in the field of agriculture in August, while a worker lost his life on construction sites almost every day. The report added that only five of the 174 deceased were members of a trade union: they were working in the fields of education and metal.

As to the causes of death, the report said that the most frequent were road accidents, the new coronavirus (COVID-19), being crushed/trapped under debris, heart attack, falling from a high place, being electrocuted, being poisoned/drowning, violence and suicide.

The report also found that 11 of the deceased workers were children and 44 were at or over the age of  51.

The highest number of deaths was registered in Istanbul, 18. 

Ten workers lost their lives in Antalya, Izmir and Maraş, nine in Antep, six in Kocaeli and Manisa, five in Ankara, Balıkesir, Diyarbakır, Sakarya and Urfa.