Workers' safety must come first
It is disturbing to learn that despite our repeated calls to the authorities to ensure safety of our workers at workplaces, no substantial steps have been taken so far to stop or even reduce the number of deaths in workplaces. Instead, the number has actually increased. According to a recent survey, 592 workers were killed in 484 workplace accidents across the country in 2018, whereas in 2017, the number of deaths was 437. This rise in number should be a cause for concern.
According to the SRS (Safety and Rights Society), the two sectors with most of the deaths are the construction and transport sectors, as 184 workers were killed in construction sites while 170 were killed in the transport sector last year. Other reasons of deaths included electrocution, hill collapse, inhaling of poisonous gas, etc.
What is surprising is that while we talk about the issue of road safety, we often forget to mention the safety of our transport workers who are most vulnerable to road accidents. Thus the issue of transport workers' safety must be taken seriously.
This daily has regularly been publishing news and photos depicting the hazardous conditions in which our workers have to work. But the authorities seem to be turning a blind eye to the issue. What is most unfortunate is that most of these deaths can be prevented only by ensuring that the workers use the necessary safety gear during work. The government needs to be strict in enforcing the existing laws regarding workers' safety to stop such accidents. In addition, the employers must be held accountable for these unexpected deaths, as workers' safety must come first.
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