There were 17,240 workplace injuries and dozens of deaths in Croatia last year. 63.500 workers were on sick leave every day due to work-related injuries or other health problems, trade unionist Mladen Novosel said on Thursday on the occasion of World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

On average, each employee takes 11 sick days per year. The figures are significant, as is the damage to the economy, and it is worrying that the trend is not decreasing, Novosel said at the “Work Should Not Kill!” panel organised by the The Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of Croatia (UATUC).

The aim is to minimise injuries and fatalities in the workplace, with employers and the government bearing the main responsibility for implementing health and safety measures, the UATUC president said, adding that the government should propose solutions to improve safety in the workplace.

The government should propose solutions to improve safety in the workplace. There is a need for better risk assessment in the workplace and better training of workers, especially due to labour shortages and the increasing number of foreign workers, Novosel said.

A survey conducted by the UATUC in companies where the UATUC operates has shown that risk assessment is not carried out adequately and that many employers do not fulfil their obligations in terms of workplace safety, said UATUC Executive Secretary Dijana Sobota.

Number of injuries and deaths in the workplace still unacceptably high

Changes to the Labour Protection Act have led to a reduction in safety measures, which has had an impact on safety in the workplace, she added.

She said that the number of injuries and deaths in the workplace is still unacceptably high and that the problem lies in the lack of regulations for the implementation of the Labour Protection Act.

Last year, 32 people died in accidents at work, including 20 in the construction industry, said Drazen Opalic from the Ministry of Labour.

The situation in micro and small enterprises is particularly worrying. Therefore, the ministry is developing tools to train them to work safely and is strengthening supervision of agencies that assess risks and provide occupational safety services, he said.

Tomislav Bitunjac from the Croatian Employers’ Association said that it is in the interest of employers to minimise injuries and fatalities in the workplace and that their responsibility for implementing occupational safety measures is indisputable.

However, employees also have a responsibility to train themselves to work safely and use protective equipment, he said, adding that current legislation should not remain a dead letter.