World Day for Safety and Health at Work: HRANA’s Annual Report on Workplace Safety and Accidents in Iran

HRANA News Agency – On the occasion of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) has published a report examining workplace accidents linked to unsafe environments and hazardous working conditions in Iran between May 2, 2024, and April 27, 2025.

According to data compiled by HRA’s Department of Statistics and Publications, during this period at least 2,079 workers lost their lives and at least 16,273 others were injured due to workplace accidents resulting from inadequate safety measures.

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work, established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2003, aims to raise global awareness of workplace safety and health, promoting accident and disease prevention in occupational settings. Since 1996, labor unions worldwide have also observed April 28 as International Workers’ Memorial Day, honoring workers who have lost their lives on the job.

HRA’s report highlights that the reported deaths and injuries were collected from media outlets and organizations monitoring labor rights across Iran. Among the most devastating incidents was the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, where 46 workers, including three women, had been killed as of the time of this writing. Official reports recorded over 1,242 injuries, although it remains unclear how many of those injured were workers. According to the head of the Bandar Abbas Workers’ Retirees Association, the majority of the victims were indeed laborers.

This tragedy, occurring just before the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, underscores the importance of stricter implementation of laws and continuous monitoring of compliance with safety principles in work environments.

The report also provides a breakdown of the causes of workplace accidents:

Falls from heights accounted for 22.63% of incidents,
Traffic accidents 14.23%,
Fires 10.57%,
Being struck by hard objects 10.37%,
Poisoning 8.85%,
Mining accidents 7.62%,
Gas suffocation 6.42%,
Factory incidents 6.39%,
Electrocution 6.19%,
Construction accidents 2.46%,
Well-related accidents 2.30%,
Explosions 0.81%,
Petrochemical and refinery incidents 0.49%,
Unspecified causes 0.23%,
Smoke inhalation 0.19%,
Agricultural accidents 0.13%,
Drownings 0.13%.

Workplace Accident Categorization Chart

Iran ranks 102nd in the world regarding the observance of workplace safety standards, which is considered a very low ranking. HRA’s findings reflect the urgent need for improved occupational safety standards and continuous oversight to protect workers’ lives across Iran.

Two Workers Killed, One Severely Injured Due to Unsafe Workplace Conditions

On December 2, two workplace accidents in Qom and Bandar Lengeh cities left two workers dead and one severely injured.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Tasnim News Agency, a lift inside a food production factory based in Qom City malfunctioned and fell, leading to the death of a female worker inside.

“Following this accident, the judiciary ordered closure of the factory until safety deficiencies are fixed,” the Director-General of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare of Qom City commented.

The same day, two fishermen in Bandar Lengeh City died after four fishing boats caught fire.

“Around 13:30, in a wharf, due to a technical problem in the engine, a fishing boat caught on fire and the fire spread to three adjacent boats. In this accident, a fisherman lost his life and another was severely injured,” commented Bandar Lengeh’s governor, Ahmad Sheybani.

Three Workers Killed and Two Injured in Workplace Accidents in Birjand and Nazarabad

This Saturday, October 30th, two fatal workplace accidents took place in Birjand and Nazarabad.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ILNA, two were killed while working in an underground aqueduct in Birjand. On Saturday at 9 am, two workers died working on dredging a Qanat tunnel after the wall collapsed. Only after many hours of effort and using an excavator was the rescue team able to pull the bodies out from the debris.

On the same day, according to HRANA, quoting Rokna,  one died and two others were injured in Nazarabad after being electrocuted while working on a utility pole for the Nazarabad Power Distribution Company.

In recent months, many workers have died due to Debris falling in the wall or Qanat, which, according to experts, is caused by a failure to take workplace safety measures. Iran ranks 102 in workplace safety out of 189 countries.