Statistical Overview of Work-related Accidents and Deaths in Iran

Statistical overview of Work Safety in Iran

In honor of the International Day for Safety and Health at work on April 28th, 2021, Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) highlights the alarming number of work related deaths and accidents that took place in Iran from May 2020 to April 2021. As a founding member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and a signatory of 13 ILO Conventions, including  5 core conventions, Iran must be held accountable for failing to comply with obligations and for continuing to allow employers to disregard employee safety in such a way that continually leads to death and injury.

Iran ranks 102nd in the world in terms of occupational safety. According to the Statistics Center of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), from May 2, 2020 to April 27, 2021: work-related accidents due to lack of safety at the workplace or unsatisfactory working conditions resulted in the deaths of at least 1,790 workers. This number is drawn from HRA research pulled from media reports and organizations active in the field.

In addition to the 1,790 reported deaths due to work-related accidents, there are 7,575 reported cases of injuries at the workplace; this number is aggregated at HRAs statistics department through research compiled from media and organizations active in the field. It should be noted that the highest number of work accidents occurred in Khuzestan, Tehran, and Isfahan provinces, respectively. The below chart demonstrates the sectors most affected by the failure to ensure the safety and health of workers’.

The ongoing denial of the full enjoyment of workers’ rights leading to injury and death has also led to frequent gatherings of labor rights activists demanding change. These gatherings are often met with suppression and further exacerbate the violations of labor rights through denial of the right to peaceful assembly and association; and even sometimes leads to arbitrary detention, unfair trials, and torture. Unsatisfactory working conditions leading to alarming numbers of work-related injury and death could be mitigated by implementing domestic policies which protect workers’ safety as well as allow for the transparent monitoring of employers compliance to said policies. Iran should ensure full adherence to international labor standards and uphold the rights of all Iranians in the workplace and elsewhere.

Occupational Accident Classification Chart

Occupational Accident Classification Chart
HRA’s Statistic Department: Occupational Accident Classification Chart (May 2, 2020 to April 27, 2021)

 

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