On occupational injuries in 2019

The Lepel District Executive Committee informs about fatalities (deaths) at work and victims who sustained severe occupational injuries in 2019 compared to 2018.

In 2019, 3 occupational accidents were registered in the district, resulting in 1 employee fatality (OAO "Lyadno" - March 23, 2019) and 2 employees sustaining severe injuries (Branch "Bobrovo-Agro" of ZAO "Vitebskagropodukt" - April 18, 2019; GLKHU "Lepel Leskhoz" - November 1, 2019). In 2019, there was an increase in fatal occupational injuries (none in 2018).

According to the Department of State Labour Inspectorate of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus, in 2019, 78 employees died (were killed) and 88 sustained severe injuries in organisations of the Vitebsk region. Of these, 58 and 13 respectively were classified as non-occupational.

Thus, a connection with production (taking into account pending investigations) was established for 20 fatalities, which is one employee less than in 2018, and for 75 individuals who sustained severe occupational injuries (75 in 2018).

For reference.Out of 58 deaths (fatalities) of employees classified as non-occupational, the deaths of 40 victims were solely due to their health condition. Out of 13 accidents leading to severe injuries and classified as non-occupational, there was one such case.

In 2019, the rate of fatalities at work per 100,000 insured persons under mandatory insurance against industrial accidents and occupational diseases (Kch) in the region exceeded the corresponding rate for the republic by almost 1.3 times (4.6 for the region, 3.6 for the republic).

An increase in fatal occupational injuries in 2019 was observed in organisations of the Orsha district – 4 fatalities (one in 2018), Glubokoye district – 2 (one in 2018), and the Lepel and Tollachin districts – one each (none in 2018). In the Shumilino, Dokshitsy, Postavy, Senno, and Polotsk districts, the number of fatal incidents remained at the previous level.

level – one case of fatal injury in 2018 and 2019.

For reference. An increase in fatal occupational injuries in 2019 was noted in organisations under the jurisdiction of (within the system of) the Ministry of Industry, where 2 workers died (one in 2018), as well as the Ministry of Forestry and the Bellegprom concern – 2 and one respectively (one and none). In addition, an increase in the number of fatalities was noted in organisations without departmental subordination – from 2 to 4.

An increase in occupational injuries leading to severe injuries in 2019 was noted in organisations in Postavsky district – 5 victims (2 in 2018), Sennensky district – 4 (2 in 2018), Lioznensky, Shumilinsky and Chashniksky districts – 2 each (none), Toločinsky district – 4 (3 in 2018), Verkhnedvinsky and Ushachsky districts – 2 each (one each in 2018), Dokshitsky district – one (none in 2018). In Vitebsk city, the number of severely injured at work remained at the same level – 22 victims each in 2018 and 2019, in Gluboksky district – 6 each, in Vitebsky district – 3 each, in Rossonksy district – one each.

For reference. An increase in occupational injuries leading to severe occupational injuries in 2019 was noted in organisations without departmental subordination, where 16 workers were severely injured (15 in 2018).

In addition, the number of victims who sustained severe injuries at work increased in organisations under the jurisdiction of (within the system of) the Ministry of Forestry – from 2 to 7 victims, the Ministry of Transport – from one to 4, the Ministry of Energy – from one to 3, the Ministry of Industry – from zero to 2, the Bellegprom concern – from one to 2, as well as the Ministry of Education – from zero to one. In organisations under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Communications and Belkoopsoyuz, the number of cases leading to severe occupational injuries remained at the same level (one case of severe injury each in 2018 and 2019, respectively).

The analysis of completed special investigations (investigations) of occupational accidents with severe consequences in organisations of the region indicates an overall decrease in the number of fatalities and severe injuries of workers, which occurred due to the employers' failure to ensure safe working conditions. If in 2018, due to the employer's fault, 41.8 percent of accidents occurred

cases with severe consequences, in 2019 this indicator decreased to 35.1 percent. At the same time, in the organisations of the region, the number of accidents with severe consequences that occurred due to the fault of the victim alone increased – from 22.8 to 29.9 percent (Table 1).

Table 1

Causes of accidents	2018	2019
Solely due to the employer's fault	24.1%	19.5%
Mixed responsibility of the employer and the victim	17.7%	15.6%
Solely due to the victim's fault	22.8%	29.9%
In the absence of fault of the employer and the victim	35.4%	35.0%

Despite the measures taken, in 2019, one employee who died at work and 2 employees who sustained severe industrial injuries were under the influence of alcohol at the time of injury (in 2018 – 3 and 2 respectively).

In view of the foregoing, we propose to take additional measures to prevent an increase in workplace injuries, eliminate the causes of industrial injuries, ensure the unconditional fulfilment of their duties regarding labour protection by both the officials of the organisation and the employees themselves, as well as to ensure production and technological, executive, and labour discipline by them.