Occupational accidents: in the first 7 months of 2020 Inail reports a 23.7 percent drop compared to 2019 influenced by lockdown

The comparison of the first seven months of 2020 compared to 2019, although showing a 23.7 percent decrease in injury reports, requires caution. In particular, to better understand the trend in fatal injuries, it will be necessary to wait for the consolidation of full-year data essentially for two reasons: the Covid19-caused suspension of all manufacturing activities, and the inclusion of injury reports related to Covid19 infections that occurred in the work environment or due to the performance of work and en route (i.e., on the round trip between home and workplace).

According to the data released, the biggest drop is in May, followed by April and June with a reduction of more than one-third when comparing with the previous year.

Between January and July 2020, the decrease affected both Italian (-24.6 percent), EU (-15.8 percent) and non-EU (-20 percent) workers ; while with respect to the analysis by age groups, generalized decreases emerge for all age groups, but smaller for workers between 45-64 years old.

INAIL data on the reporting of fatal cases.

There were 716 reports of fatal occupational injuries in the first seven months of 2020, this figure shows an increase of 117 cases compared to the 599 reported in the same period of 2019, the increase is likely influenced by the number of deaths that occurred due to COVID19 infection.

On the Italian territory, there was a decrease only in fatal commuting accidents while those occurring in the workplace increased (+39.6 percent). The increase is mainly related to the sectors of Industry and Services and the State account, while Agriculture recorded 23 fewer cases.

INAIL data on occupational disease reporting.

Occupational diseases reported and registered by Inail were 34.5 percent less than in the same period in 2019, again affecting the decline is the number of reports filed between March and July 2020, down 49 percent compared to the same period in 2019.

Proper Hazard Analysis and the action of STOMMPY Impact Protectors, to promote safe working environments.

In the face of this new data, although its veracity on the entirety of 2020 remains to be verified, we believe it is important to restart by paying even more attention to issues related to occupational safety.

The importance of proper risk analysis, including considering near misses that never show up in INAIL data, which rightly record only the fact that occurred and certified, is the basis for good prevention of workplace injuries or deaths.

Providing within one's DVR, which Shock Protections are in place to protect the following individuals, is critical to prevent certain types of accidents from happening:

• infrastructure, materials and machinery have always been part of the most valuable values for the enterprise;
• employees need to feel more protected to increase their productivity by not having to think about the rest;
• the property should be able to sleep peaceful nights, thinking that it has done everything in its power to rule out any kind of accident, provided, of course, that it is not caused on purpose or through carelessness.

Safety in the workplace is one of the most important achievements since the postwar period and must always be considered as a priority:careless procedures and behavior,call into question this right that must be the first interest both for the company, which in this way ensures a comfortable and consequently more productive environment, and for society as a whole that bears less social costs. Preventing a moving vehicle from coming into contact with an operator intent and focused on his or her activities

Regardless of the lockdown that has returned us with data that probably does not closely match reality in a normal situation, we are certain that there is only one strategy to follow to reduce, if not completely eliminate, these unpleasant situations: PREVENTION!

Educating the employer but especially the employees to adopt preventive behaviors to minimize, if not eliminate, the risk of workplace accidents is the only way to ensure safer workplaces and greatly reduce the company's maintenance costs.