Work Accidents Decrease in Cuba in 2014

HAVANA, Cuba, Oct 15 (acn) Work accidents decreased in the first half of 2014 compared with the previous year, while the amount of working days lost due to the seriousness of those events increased, trade union sources said in this city.

According to data provided by Ana Julia Cleger, Occupational Health official in the Cuban Workers Federation (CTC by its Spanish acronym) Department of Labour and Social Affairs, 1 936 accidents of this type occurred until the end of July, including 35 deaths.

The working days lost amounted from 111 202 counted in 2013 to 169 410 in the same period this year, due to an accident rate mainly caused by human negligence.

Gisela Duarte, also a CTC official, said this result was not influenced by the lack of means of protection in working positions, leading cause in earlier stages.

She added that traffic accidents involving professional drivers are the most common in fatal events; factor that also led to the occurrence of further incidents of this type in 2013 than in 2012 .

The National Office for Labour Inspectorate, under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security , is responsible for investigating accidents in this area, and has representation in all provinces, with inspectors specialized in labor and safety and security issues.

Duarte called for the workforce, and especially the managers , top responsible for protecting the lives of their subordinates, to insist on compliance with the established security measures to prevent injuries and unfortunate events with casualties.