Italy is the country with more accidents at work in Europe

Italy is the country with more accidents
The Anmil Report: More than a thousand victims a year
"Perverse effect linked to the production model."


The Thyssen Turin,
where workers died 7

Thyssenkrupp

ROME - Italy has the unenviable record of the victims at work in Europe, the number of "white deaths ", although down on previous years, is decreased less than in the rest of Europe. Over the past ten years, during the period between 1995 and 2004, we recorded the decline was equal to 25.49 percent while the European average, the decline was equal to 29.41 percent.

The reduction was even greater in Germany, where the number of victims has nearly halved (-48.3 percent), and Spain where there was a decrease of 33.64 percent. These are some of the results reported in the second report on the condition''and Protection of Victims of labor between laws and rights denied inapliccate''presented by Anmil, National Association of maimed and disabled workers, the Head of State Giorgio Napolitano.

In official figures, although less alarming than those relating to victims, not including accidents that are not reported by those employed in the work where, according to the Inail, occur at least 200 thousand cases.

Overall accidents at work are about one million deaths annually and over a thousand. In Germany in 1995, the victims were 1500, two hundred more than in Italy. Today fell to 804 units, a number far lower than Italy. These numbers, say Amnil, show how it is not a phenomenon relegated to occasional and extraordinary situations but rather "a perverse effect that seems deeply innervation in the mode of production."

Compensation reduced
The reform carried out by Legislative Decree 38/2000 which introduced on an experimental basis, the coverage of biological damage, in fact, say Anmil, has resulted in a net reduction in the level of pension benefits or even the transformation of 'compensation pension, paid a one-off capital. "

If an injured worker who loses a foot has a wife and a dependent child and an average wage, is found today by INAIL to receive 13.39% of the annuity in less (or 963 euros a year) as provided Ripetta the previous regime Decree 38/2000. The loss in terms of compensation in a civil proceeding would then amount to about 45 thousand.

Too timid steps
The renewed awareness of the seriousness of the phenomenon, also rose because of the many speeches by the President of the Republic on the issue, seems not yet managed to produce a significant reversal of trend. The authors of the report stress that five months after the entry into force of Law 123/07, which established new rules on occupational safety, the provincial coordination of inspections are just taking the first steps while the staff involved in prevention accidents, at the current rate, use 23 years to monitor all companies. The Anmil also stresses even as it intervenes almost always done things and very rarely at the level of prevention.

Things to do
Among the remedies needed, Anmil indicated there are more investment activities on prevention and control, the introduction of appropriate penalties to the seriousness and consequences of behavior, the organization of an administrative and judicial machinery that will ensure the application and certain Quick sanctions and promozinoe initiatives informative, educational and cultural development in the medium to longer term greater attention to prevention.