Big drop in number of accidents at work

Balearic labour minister Miquel Rosselló yesterday presented two new campaigns for the prevention of accidents at work, aimed at the two biggest employers in the archipelago, construction and hostelry. Carme Font, the director of the Balearic Institute of Health at Work also took part in the presentation of the campaign, which is expected to reach 6'500 construction firms and more than 1'500 hotels on the island. The number of accidents at work in the first 11 months of last year dropped by 15 per cent in the hotel sector and six per cent in construction. The rate of accidents in the building trade dropped from 202 accidents per 1'000 inhabitants to 189, and none of the accidents was fatal, compared to 2001 when 11 of the 21 deaths at work occurred in the building trade. But, the minister said, “this does not mean we can let our guard down. The indexes continue to be very high for a modern society and we will continue to work to bring them down.” The new campaigns, Rosselló said, would provide information on the most common risks detected in the sectors and the best way to prevent them. Recommendations for the construction sector include the need to use individual and collective protection and to take precautions against falls from heights. In the hostelry sector, the advice includes using footwear with non-slip soles, revising the refrigeration towers and demanding the use of safe detergents. Font said that the ministry has spent 42'000 euros on the posters and leaflets for the campaign, and a further 12'000 to 18'000 euros in distributing them. The information will be followed up by inspections to see how the campaign is being followed. It will later be extended to other sectors such as agriculture, where there is also a high rate of accidents.