Fatal work-related accidents on the rise

Fatal occupational accidents are on the increase in Sweden: 36 people died in accidents at work in the first six months of 2008, compared with 28 deaths in the same period for 2003. The rise in the number of fatal accidents is particularly alarming in the construction sector. As a result, social partners are calling for government action and increased resources for risk prevention. The Swedish Work Environment Authority has undertaken an investigation of the problem.

Background

The number of fatal occupational accidents in Sweden declined from the 1950s to the beginning of this century; since then, however, the trend has reversed and the number of workplace accidents has been steadily increasing. Some 36 cases of fatal accidents at work were reported in the first half of 2008, compared with 28 cases in the first half of 2003.

As of July 2008, 41 people have died in occupational accidents so far this year, representing the highest number of fatal workplace accidents in a long time. The sectors of economic activity most affected by fatal work-related accidents are the construction sector and the agriculture and forestry sector. Notably, in the construction industry, the number of fatal accidents at work has grown by more than 30% in the last three years.

Cost-cutting at Swedish Work Environment Authority

The Swedish Work Environment Authority (Arbetsmiljöverket, AV) has had to make staff cuts due to reduced state funding from the annual budget since 2006. The number of personnel has been cut by about 40%; among those affected were work environment experts and labour inspectors. The number of such experts has declined by 50% in the capital city of Stockholm, while the number of labour inspectors decreased by 25% in the whole country. Between 2007 and 2009, AV will have to save SEK 158 million (€16.7 million as at 8 September 2008). Following the downsizing, Sweden will have 0.8 inspectors per 10,000 inhabitants and will not meet the recommendations of the International Labour Organization (ILO), stipulating one inspector per 10,000 inhabitants.

According to Professor in Work Injury Prevention Tore J. Larsson at the Royal Institute of Technology (Kungliga Tekniska högskolan, KTH) and the Director General of AV, Mikael Sjöberg, no clear connections exist between the increase in fatal accidents and the reduction in expert competence and workplace monitoring. Nevertheless, they both agree on the need to improve risk prevention and claim that lack of resources might hinder necessary preventive measures by AV – which will result in a poor work environment. Mr Sjöberg has suggested that the social partners should compensate AV’s reduced number of experts with greater engagement and responsibility in certain areas (news article of 14 July 2008 (in Swedish) in the Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet).

AV is currently carrying out an investigation to explain the increase in the number of fatal occupational accidents. This was partly finished in June 2008 and the report will be completed in September, according to a press release of 16 July 2008 (in Swedish). Possible reasons identified for the increase in fatal casualties are tighter production deadlines and the fact that legal provisions of the work environment, such as rules concerning safety measures, are not always followed.

Social partners demand prevention measures

The Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisationen i Sverige, LO) believes that an investigation is not enough as the situation is serious. LO considers that the social partners on both sides of industry must jointly demand additional resources from the government for the prevention of occupational accidents.

A combined effort to pursue this objective is now being undertaken by the Leaders of the Building Sector (Byggcheferna), a section of the Swedish Organisation for Managers (Sveriges Chefsorganisation, Ledarna), and by the Swedish Building Workers’ Union (Svenska Byggnadsarbetareförbundet, Byggnads). These organisations are also calling for more resources for inspectors, particularly in the construction sector. According to the Chair of Byggcheferna, Lars Bergkvist, the inspectors need control mechanisms in place to avoid a further increase in the number of occupational accidents.

LO is demanding zero tolerance for fatal accidents in the workplace and greater resources for AV, amounting to at least SEK 25 million (€2.6 million) a year over the next five years. These additional resources should be used to assign more inspectors to monitor the implementation of the Work Environment Act (Arbetsmiljölagen) and to enforce compliance with the law.

Furthermore, LO argues that more training for safety representatives is needed; an LO evaluation survey (in Swedish) carried out in 2008 reveals that about 40% of safety representatives have not received any training in the last 12 months. Moreover, trade unions recommend that inspectors should have the authority to issue on-the-spot fines in companies violating the provisions of the Work Environment Act.

Employer organisations such as the Swedish Construction Federation (Sveriges Byggindustrier, BI) and the Swedish Association of Mines, Mineral and Metal Producers (SveMin) are also critical of the increase in occupational fatal accidents, stating that more resources must be channelled to AV.

Meanwhile, the government is awaiting the results of the AV investigation before taking any action on the matter.

Thomas Brunk, Oxford Research