ROME – On the eve of World Day for Health and Safety at Work (28 April) and Labor Day (1 May), accidents at work in Italy show no sign of decreasing. Contrary to all expectations and hopes, according to the provisional data released by Inail, the first two months of the year, compared with the same period of 2023, accidents have recorded an increase of 7% which even jumped to 19% for those with a fatal outcome. We are talking about 119 workers who died in the first two months of the year while working (or going to work) and which require a global reflection on the expected objectives and those actually achieved in terms of concrete improvement of safety in Italy over time. In fact, the annual average of victims in the last ten or fifteen years does not show any significant and stable modification. A reflection that will be at the center of Safety Expo 2024, the reference event in Italy on health and safety at work and fire prevention, scheduled for 18 and 19 September at the Bergamo Fair.
If the toll of the accident phenomenon in the first two months is alarming, no less disturbing is the news of the months of March and April, which is remembered for other workplace massacres, including the explosion of last April 9th in an ENEL hydroelectric power plant on Lake Suviana, after a fire at the turbines. Yet another dramatic event which inevitably led to the national strike on 11 April called by CGIL and UIL to demand “zero deaths at work”.
“The death of workers in the ENEL power plant – declares Daniele Marmigi, technical director of Safety Expo – highlights the need to put an end to a decidedly critical situation not worthy of our country. The problems encountered in guaranteeing the safety of workers occur through the complex application of very complex legislation and excessive attention to bureaucratic requirements: the difficulty of training workers effectively, the failure to use protective devices, the lack of supervision and control. More generally we must consider that we will only have a change of pace when entrepreneurs understand that safety is not a cost, but an investment. With the credit licence, a penalty system is coming, but a reward system in favor of companies that operate in a virtuous manner for safety in the workplace is also desirable”.
In the seventh edition of Safety Expo, scheduled as usual in Bergamo, companies, institutions, associations and the most qualified experts in the reference sectors will meet to discuss the regulations, assessments and procedures essential for the prevention of accidents at work and fires, but also to learn about innovative products, services and technologies. All scheduled events – training and practical training courses, conferences and round tables, in-depth studies and shows – are recognized as valid as refresher hours pursuant to Legislative Decree 81/08 and subsequent amendments, Law ex 818/84 and credits professional training.
Organized by EPC Periodici in collaboration with the magazines “Antfire” and “Environment & Safety at Work” and with the Informa Institute, Safety Expo every year focuses attention on highly topical issues that require new knowledge, skills and responsibilities. In the next meeting on 18 and 19 September, the news related to technological innovation and the implications for safety and prevention, credit licensing and new risks and opportunities in light of the PNRR will also be analysed; particular attention will be paid to legislation and technologically advanced and sustainable solutions for protection against fires.
