«Everything that is submerged is not measurable, but there is no Piedmont case». In the region of ThyssenKruppof the crane of via Genoa and of Brandizzo, if anything there is “the awareness of having to work together on prevention to ensure that these extreme consequences do not occur”. This is explained by Michele Garufi, coordinator of the prefectural permanent committee who presented the results of the project this morning at the Cavallerizza Reale “A network for prevention“, dedicated to safety on construction sites and intended for the training of technicians from the contracting stations of the Municipalities of Turin.
Also present at the conference was the prefect of Turin Donato Cafagna, who spoke of «network, prevention and supervision» as the cornerstones of a society that places work at the foundation of the Republic: «Work which means dignity and security, respect for the rules and fulfillment of the citizen”.
It is from this perspective that the network project came to life, born from a memorandum of understanding signed in 2022 by all the main players in the field of workplace safety, from Prefecture to Universities citizens, come on builders’ associations (Api, the association of small and medium-sized industries and ANCE, the association of building constructors) to the supervisory bodies (Inail, Spresal and Labor Inspectorate), from Common to the association “Safety and work” chaired by Massimiliano Quirico.
Among the focuses, in addition to training and to the correct one application of contracts of construction, there is the contrast to contractual dumping, that is, the immense proliferation of employment contracts. «Tripled in the last fifteen years – adds Garufi – favoring the downward offer».
Accidents and deaths at work: back to pre-Covid levels
Also presented during the conference were: Inail data on accidents and deaths at work in Piedmont in the last five years, from 2018-2022, with provisional data for 2023 and the first of 2024. «In the construction sector – comments the deputy regional director of Inail Piedmont Vita Romaniello – covid has led to a decrease in accidents, which have returned substantially to pre-pandemic level as early as 2021.” There have been 12,077 reports of accidents in the construction workplace in Piedmont in the last five years. Ninety-one deaths at work. Data that is even more interesting if included in the overall panorama of complaints. Those in the construction sector represent 4.98 percent of accidents, but they account for 16 percent on the total number of deaths at work. In the construction sector, there are no deaths of women at work (2 percent accident cases), while 30 percent of victims are of foreign origin. While the peak of injuries occurs in the 35-49 age group, the peak of deaths concerns the 50-64 age group, a sign that often, as underlined by the vice president of ANCE Chiara Borio, what is fatal are «operations repeated hundreds of times”. Turin continues to be the province most affected by accidents and deaths at work in Piedmont, with 44 and 33 percent of the total.
The provisional data for 2023 have also been brought forward and will be presented to the Chamber in July. In Piedmont there was a slight decrease in reported accidents (-20.8 percent). increase in the construction sector (+5.5 percent) and a decline in deaths at work both at a general level (75 cases, corresponding to -19.3 percent) and in construction (15 deaths). In the first quarter of 2024, there were already 11,300 reported injuries, of which 498 in construction, with a slight reduction compared to the previous year. Fourteen deaths at work since the beginning of the year, of which 2 in the construction sector.
Few and underpaid: the problem of controllers
Give it Spresal toLabor inspectorate, the alarm is unanimous: there are too few controllers and they are paid too little. There are 110 inspectors in service in the Province of Turin, a small number compared to the number of companies: the facts say that inspections take place approximately once every ten years. «In the face of important responsibilities, including very delicate judicial police functions – declares the director Angelo Serina, who raises the problem of financial treatment – an entry level inspector earns between 1,400 and 1,500 euros per month. It is clear that many young people prefer to look at other jobs.” Confirmation also comes from Spresal: «Over the years there has been a lack of programming and general turnover – comments Pier Luigi Pavanelli, director of Spresal City of Turin – and this does not only concern the technicians, but also the occupational doctors. Now we have to think with the resources we have and form a common front by networking.” We will continue to do so through the working group activated in the city and looking at the challenges of a sector that still poses many questions, from subcontracting chain to the discounts on safety and manpower costs, up to the “points licence” for companies which will come into force in October, but about which many questions remain regarding its actual effectiveness.
Cover photo by Anthony Foming on Unsplash
