Some 1273 workers were killed and 1617 others injured in various work related incidents across the country on first nine months (1 January to 30 September) of 2009.

Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE) revealed the said statistics after monitoring sixteen national daily newspapers from January 1, to September 30, 2009. Of the total, highest number of causalities (799) took place in the ready made garment sector, followed by transport sector (751) and construction sector (182).

It was found in the survey that, 187 workers were killed and 389 critically injured at workplaces due to fall from height, electrocution and explosion, a group of 297 workers killed and 807 injured at work in relation to different workers rights violations (i.e. physical assault by employers/management, police action etc). Some 274 workers were killed and 202 others injured in incidents while traveling to and from the workplaces.

Low enforcement of exiting labour law (BLA-2006) at workplaces, weak labour inspections, lack of awareness, sensitization and health and safety training among workers, absence of OSH committee at workplaces level, lack of decent wage and defective industrial relations were some of the key causes for growing occupational accidents, workers rights violations and labour unrests in the country.

For more information, contact with:

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Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE)
44F/6 West Pantapahth (4th floor), Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh
Tel: +88-02-8143795
Fax: +88-02-9139079
E-mail: oshe@agni.com,oshe@citech.net
Web: www.oshebd.org