France among most dangerous places to work in EU, figures show

France has the highest number of work accidents within the EU, and the second highest fatal mishaps. The numbers were published a week before a gathering of the International Labor Organisation, which opens on Monday. 

A man works at the construction site of the tower Silex 2 in Lyon, France © AFP/Jeff Pachoud

According to figures published by the EU's statistics watchdog Eurostat this month, in 2020, there were 2.7 million non-fatal accidents that resulted in at least four calendar days of absence from work and 3,355 fatal accidents across the union.

There were 1444 non-fatal accidents per 100,000 employees across the EU. Romania and Bulgaria registered the lowest number, France and Denmark, with over 2,500 per 100,000 scored highest.

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But the agency points out that a low incidence rate "may reflect an under-reporting problem" while a high rate could be more in line with the actual number as countries like Denmark and France have "well-established reporting/recognition systems.

Non fatal accidents EU 2020 according to Eurostat. © Eurostat

Fatal accidents

Overall, 3,355 EU employees found their death in a work-related situation during 2020. It was a slight decrease from the year before, but that may be explained by the impact of the Covid pandemic which forced large segments of the EU's work force to remain at home.

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France maintains high numbers when it comes to fatal accidents. In absolute figures, 541 people died while working in companies in France. France comes only second to Italy, with 776 casualties, and is followed by Spain (392) and Germany (371). 

Workers assess damages after building scaffoldings collapsed due to strong winds in Paris' 17th district on January 3, 2018 as storm Eleanor hits the northern part of France. STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP

The numbers reflect the size of the four most populous countries in the EU. But if it comes to the incidence rate, it appears to be Cyprus that is the most dangerous country to work in, with some 4.5 casualties per 100,000 workers, followed by Bulgaria (3.8) and Italy (3.5). But with an incidence rate of 2.5 deaths per 100,000 workers, France is still well above the EU average of 1.8.

According to the agency, more than a fifth of all fatal accidents at work in the EU took place within the construction sector.

Rise in yearly deaths

The European Trade Union Confederation (Etuc), which has members of most EU-based trade unions as members, issued its own report on 28 October, concluding that "deaths at work will continue to blight Europe for almost a decade longer than previously forecast" as it notes a "rise in fatal accidents in almost half of member states."

Projections based on Etuc's research point out that "fatal accidents at work are now projected to continue until 2062 based on the current rate – seven years longer than was previously expected."

This delay is caused after the number of yearly deaths at work increased in 12 countries between 2019 and 2020, most notably in Italy (+285), Spain (+45) and Portugal (+27).

The Etuc, supported by pressure groups like IndustryAll and is aiming at completely eradication work-related deaths, and in May issued the manifesto "Zero Death at Work." 

The ETUC Manifesto for Zero Death At Workhttps://t.co/iuqf5FQATy

— EUROPEAN TRADE UNIONS (@etuc_ces) October 28, 2022

Pessimistic

Overall, Etuc is very pessimistic about reaching the goals set in their manifesto. According to the forecast published last Friday, "workplace deaths are set to continue until well into the next century in Italy as well as Hungary."

For France and Spain, the outlook is even more grim: "on current trends, workplace deaths will never be eliminated" in these two EU countries, according to the report. 

Etuc predicts that "another 25,166 workplace deaths" can be expected across Europe between 2021 and 2029 "if fatal accidents continue at the same pace as during the previous decade."

Fundamenal rights

The Etuc and EU reports on work accidents were published a week before a key meeting of the International Labor Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, which will run from October 31 through November 10. 

Earlier this year, ILO recognized “a safe and healthy working environment” as a "fundamental principle and right at work" and designated two key conventions related to occupational safety as "fundamental" to the organisation.