On April 28, on the occasion of World Day for Health and Safety at Work, the spotlight will be turned on a crucial issue: the protection of life and safety at work. In Italy, and in particular in the Emilia-Romagna region, this day takes on a particularly relevant meaning in light of the data regarding accidents at work. In Emilia-Romagna, the picture is certainly not comforting: during 2022 alone, accidents reported to INAIL reached 81,921, recording an increase of 9.25% compared to the previous year.
From the evaluation of INAIL data regarding reported accidents, it emerges that, after the decline recorded in 2020 due to the pandemic event, the negative trend resumed in subsequent years. This constant increase highlights the urgent need for targeted and incisive interventions to counter this dangerous trend and guarantee the safety and health of workers.
In the context of the three provinces of Emilia-Romagna, Forlì-Cesena, after the decline of 16.09% in 2020, recorded an increase of 10.94% in 2021 and 3.02% in 2022. Ravenna a similar trend, with a decline of 19.88% in injuries recognized in 2020 and increases of 7.42% and 10.23% in subsequent years. Finally, the province of Rimini which presents a smaller decline in 2020 with 9.33% and an increase in the following years of 1.45% in 2021 and 10.56% in 2022 respectively.
INAIL 2023 data show a worrying situation in the Romagna area, in fact 27 fatal accidents were reported (3 in the province of Rimini, 11 in Ravenna and 13 in Forlì-Cesena). Further analyzing the data, it emerges that overall accident reports were 18,769, of which 5,053 in the province of Rimini, 6,871 in Ravenna and 6,845 in Forlì-Cesena.
The data on accidents at work are extremely worrying. They require immediate and targeted action. The fact that after the decline in 2020, due to the pandemic, there has been a constant increase in the following years is a clear alarm bell that we cannot ignore.
In the context of the three provinces of Romagna, the numbers highlight a complex situation. Despite some declines recorded in certain years, the general increase in reported accidents requires in-depth reflection on the underlying causes and the effectiveness of the measures implemented to prevent such accidents.
Things have certainly changed over the years. If we think back to twenty years ago, things have improved thanks to the action of those responsible for workplace safety: delegates, worker safety representatives, trainers, provincial safety tables. However, there are still challenges to face and important goals to pursue.
For this reason, the CISL continues to demand the extension of the Credit License in every production sector, a further strengthening of the contingent of supervisory bodies, the cross-referencing of databases and the strengthening of the powers of the RLS and RLST, guaranteeing effective safety procedures in every company.
Since the beginning of the campaign on safety at work, the first results have been achieved through dialogue and negotiation. Among the main achievements, there is the launch of the Credit License for mobile or temporary construction sites, the hiring of 766 new INL inspectors to complete the first tranche of a recruitment of 1,600 units, which are added to the 2,300 active with the consequent strengthening of controls by 40% in 2024 compared to the previous year. Furthermore, a significant package of funding from the INAIL budget was guaranteed, amounting to 1 billion and 500 million, for prevention and training, and the parliamentary process began to include health and safety in school curricula.
A greater effort is needed from everyone, the Credit License must be extended to every production sector, the protections provided on public construction sites must be extended to large private contracts as well, the involvement of supervisory bodies and database cross-referencing must be strengthened and reuse must be made structural full of the INAIL budget surplus.
The training of workers must be improved, which for us is not just a bureaucratic requirement, but a path of cultural growth and for this reason we ask to accelerate the discussion on the State-Regions agreement. Finally, good practices must be extended by searching for them in the various territories and extending them to the whole of Romagna, such as the “Legality and safety” project that we have been carrying out for over twenty years in the schools of Rimini together with other trade union organisations, bodies and institutions. Only by creating synergy between all the delegated subjects can we reverse a worrying trend.
Francesco Marinelli – General Secretary CISL Romagna
