Khaberni - Last year witnessed an alarming increase in occupational injuries and fatalities, shedding light on the deficiencies of the occupational safety and health system at work sites, according to data from the Social Security Corporation.
The data reveals that the number of deaths resulting from occupational injuries reached 185, an increase of 22 cases from the previous year, translating to a death every less than two days and an injury every 34 minutes (equating to two injuries per hour, totaling 48 injuries daily). This reflects gaps in the application of preventive measures, weak field supervision, and challenges faced by small and unregulated establishments in complying with safety procedures, according to Al-Ghad newspaper.
Experts in occupational safety agree that the solution does not solely lie in legislation but in creating a genuine preventative culture and activating the role of institutions concerned with training and supervision to reduce accidents and protect workers.
Last year, the number of insured individuals in "Social Security" who suffered occupational injuries leading to their death was 185—an increase of 22 deaths from before—according to data which indicated that the ratio of fatality cases arising from occupational injuries was 1.3% of the total number of occupational injuries recorded for the same year, totaling 14,000 injuries. This means a work-related death occurred every 1.9 days, and a work-related injury every 34 minutes.
Integration and Effectiveness
The head of the Labor House, Hamada Abu Najma, said, "The rise in fatalities due to occupational injuries in Jordan last year reflects a challenge in the occupational safety and health system and shows that efforts in this field still need more integration and effectiveness."
Abu Najma added that a death due to occupational injury occurring every less than two days, and a work-related injury every 34 minutes, does not necessarily mean a lack of legislation, but rather reflects a failure to enforce them, and the disregard of the complexities of the work environment and the interplay of technical, human, and organizational factors that lead to these accidents.
He explained that experiences from other countries show that rates of occupational injuries and fatalities do not decrease merely with the existence of advanced legal systems, but rather with establishing a true preventative culture in workplaces, based on awareness, training, and proactive risk management.
He pointed out that the numbers in the Jordanian case can be interpreted as a result of multiple levels of challenges, starting with sectors that typically see a high frequency of incidents like construction, manufacturing, and agriculture, which are inherently high-risk. This goes through the varying capabilities of establishments to implement preventative measures, and ends with the capabilities of inspection and supervision bodies working with limited resources compared to the number of establishments and workers.
Abu Najma stated that a large proportion of workers are employed in small or medium-sized establishments, or in unregulated sectors, making reaching them for training or preventive supervision more difficult.
Abu Najma further added that the Social Security Corporation and the Ministry of Labor play important roles in awareness, training, and compensations, but these roles need development to become a more comprehensive preventative approach, based on analyzing accident causes and identifying recurring patterns to target policies more precisely for addressing them.
He emphasized that the data indicate that the core of the problem lies in the nature of the injuries, their management, the ability to predict them, and reducing their likelihood, explaining that advances in occupational safety management systems are based on the idea that every injury or fatality can be prevented to a high degree of probability if continuous risk assessment mechanisms are available, along with learning from previous accidents and exchanging data and best practices across sectors.
He added that these numbers should be treated with attention, as indicators for developing national policies, calling for the establishment of a database that could help in identifying priorities for intervention and directing resources towards sectors and professions most at risk, and enhancing integration between government entities, unions, and employers to develop a comprehensive occupational safety and health plan, based on prevention, awareness, and proactive accountability.
Increasing Work Injuries
Insurance and social protection expert Musa Al-Subaihi said that accidents and occupational injuries are continuously increasing in terms of rates and hazards, indicating that there is no real improvement in occupational safety and health measures required by legislation (especially labor and social security laws), which mandate employers to provide and adhere to their standards at workplaces.
Al-Subaihi added that recent years have seen many dangerous work accidents, some of which were fatal, claiming the lives of innocent workers due to negligence in safety procedures at work sites, stressing that this situation requires urgent and serious action.
He pointed out that the grim reality of occupational safety and health cannot be ignored, calling for activating the role of the Health and Safety Institute at the Vocational Training Corporation, adding, "We no longer hear about any real role or activity of this institute in the training and awareness fields."
He added that there are forgotten roles and responsibilities among the concerned authorities, especially at the top with the Ministry of Labor and the Social Security Corporation, urging the minister and director for thorough and ongoing field monitoring away from speeches and statements.
