Health and safety emergency

Let's spread the culture of safety at work

      White deaths are, in no uncertain terms, a 'continuous massacre': this is how Prime Minister Mario Draghi described it when he spoke of the new workplace safety plan to be launched.In the last two days of September 2021 alone, 10 fatal accidents were recorded.

      In Italy, the average is more than three deaths a day: numbers that are decidedly higher than in other European countries.These are frightening numbers, which depend on a poor widespread safety culture, but above all on the gaps in the prevention system both in legal terms and in terms of control.

      The Consolidation Act on the Protection of Health and Safety in the Workplace, approved by Legislative Decree 81 in 2008, included for the first time two culpable offences linked to company organisation and the behaviour of those responsible: injury and homicide related to accidents at work.
      Over the years, the application of the law has unfortunately not been unequivocal: case law has been divided on the legal nature of the obligation or burden of work organisation.In too many cases, there has been a tendency to regard compliance as a burden and not as an obligation, which has reduced the liability of companies.

      Another shortcoming is definitely attributable to the scarcity of controls in the prevention system due to the shortage of ASL personnel.The unresolved problems combined with the post-pandemic recovery have marked a rapid increase in fatal accidents.In the activities of ristrutturazione edilizia, settore in forte espansione grazie all’erogazione dei bonus, si registrano sempre più numerose falls from heights, collapse of floors, balconies and scaffolding.

      There is also no shortage of fatal accidents involving work equipment, especially agricultural equipment, accidents on motorway construction sites during the installation of signs and falling loads in storage and handling areas. handling of loads All these episodes follow the most familiar and easily predictable dynamics.

      So what can be done? What measures should be taken to respond quickly and effectively to this emergency?
      • Accident and illness prevention strategies need to be improved.

      • Inspection activities need to be increased, perhaps doubled.

      • The legislative and sanctioning apparatus must be tightened.

      We leave the measures to the competent bodies.For us, it remains crucial to spread the culture of safety. Awareness-raising, training, production of safe equipment: we've always stood by companies and workers.