Annual Death of 1,400 Workers and 10 Trillion Tomans in Damages in Iran

According to the latest report from the Ministry of Labor, more than 1,400 workers in Iran lose their lives annually due to physical accidents, resulting in damages of 10 trillion tomans due to the death of workers. Hassan Heidatan, Deputy Minister of Labor, stated regarding the safety situation in workplaces that 'six times this figure is related to deaths caused by occupational diseases that have affected the workforce.' According to this official, 43.8% of deaths resulting from workplace accidents occur in the construction industry. Mr. Heidatan further discussed the damages inflicted on the country's economy, stating: 'According to the International Labor Organization, the death of each individual, aside from the tragic family consequences, directly inflicts one billion tomans in damage to the economy, and the death of each individual means losing 7,500 working days.' The Deputy Minister emphasized that the productivity rate of the workforce in Iran is, on average, one-fourth of the global labor productivity rate, announcing: 'Annually, 10 trillion tomans are imposed on the country due to the death of workers from workplace accidents, which is a result of negligence in planning and preventing these incidents.' The Deputy of Labor Relations also compared the workforce in Iran and Japan, adding: 'The average productivity rate of Japanese workers is seven times that of Iranian workers, and Japanese workers constitute 98% of the capital resources of that country; in such a country, the rate of fatal workplace accidents among one hundred thousand workers is zero.' Mr. Heidatan discussed the costs of workplace accidents, stating: 'According to the International Labor Organization, on average, 4 to 5% of the gross domestic product, which amounts to 2,800 trillion dollars, is spent on the costs of workplace accidents; even if we take this figure as 2% in Iran, it amounts to 30 trillion tomans spent annually on this issue.' The Deputy Minister emphasized the need for health and safety compliance in workshops, stating: 'With the current inspections, if every production and industrial unit is inspected for health and safety compliance, it would take 5 to 6 years, and we cannot evaluate, manage, and prevent risks in these units.' This official in the Ministry of Labor further stated that workplace accidents due to the negligence of relevant stakeholders are considered 'quasi-intentional murder,' saying: 'The blood of workers is the only red line for the Ministry of Labor, and we will not overlook their blood.' Mr. Heidatan concluded with hope that safety officials would be established in industrial units and economic enterprises, stating: 'One of the Ministry of Labor's programs is to eliminate occupational diseases caused by hard and harmful jobs, as the workforce in the country does not have a comfortable life after retirement.' Previously, Mr. Heidatan had announced that Iran ranks 107th in safety among 189 countries worldwide. According to news agencies, the number of victims of workplace accidents in Iran has been increasing in recent years. For example, according to IRNA and citing the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization, the number of victims in 2013 increased by 11% compared to the previous year.