26 November 2010

Here are some startling statistics.


I was talking with a friend the other day who mentioned he had read about the number of work related fatalities per day in China. It got me thinking, cause, personally, I have never had the misfortune of working anywhere that had dodgy work safety practices ... so, I went looking to see Where Australia sat, statistically in the global safety statistics. Although Australia isnt meantioned in this article, the figures were worth sharing.

Global Fatalities


Tthe following estimates by the United Nations International Labour Organsiation are truely shocking.

- As Many as 5000 people die every day (globally) from work related incidents and disease (2.3million per year)

- Many countries do not report workplace deaths and work related illnesses causing deaths.  For example in India they reported 222 fatal accidents during one study, however external estimates indicate the figure was closer to 40,000.  China in one study reported 12,554 deaths, but the actual toll was closer to 90,000 deaths.

Jukka Takala the director of the ILO's Safework Program stated, "The sad truth is that in some parts of the world, many workers will probably die for lack of an adequate safety culture."

Still looking for more updated information

Estimated Fatal Workplace Accidents (2001)
China 90,295
India   40,133
Nigeria  9,392
USA   6,643
Russ. Fed  6,276
Japan 2,016
S   Africa  1,908
Italy  1,397
Germany  1,107
Canada  1,035
France  730
UK  236

14 comments:

  1. Interesting, Angie. I believe some other numbers that would give a truer picture of each country's actual workplace safety record is to do a statistical comparison as it relates to total population, the total average length of the workweek, number of people actually working in that country (employment rate) and productivity rate per worker, per hour worked.

    --M

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  2. That's amazing isn't it. I expected the US to be well up there actually as worker's are not protected here anywhere near as much as they are at home. Their work conditions are harder and less money paid as well. All we ever hear about are those huge salaries which is so not the average person.

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  3. Good friends all,

    As my university professor frequently stated:

    "Statistics do not lie!"

    "Statisticians do lie!!!"

    when he found errors in our work!!!

    Oh well... there is no " statistical outlier", heh?

    peace...

    as ever...

    Zee...

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  4. Wow! Russia is safer than the USA?

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  5. Well, do they not have a more modern military except for the Peoples Republic of China [aka Communist China]?

    Do they not have more inter-continental missiles than USA?

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  6. been thinking this one over Manfred.. why would you be including the productivity rate per worker? are you meaning that some workers are attending work with work related injuries.. therefore productivity would be less?

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  7. you know Ronnie, I believe that there are CEO's who honestly can not justify their earning.. but .. I think the MOST over paid people are professional sports people. its ludicris to think that someone can earn 30+ million on playing a season of sport alone.. and then to have what they earn as endorsements for brand names.. I dont see any justification for that amount of money.

    Mind you .. If I was exceptionally talented in a particular sport .. then perhaps I wouldnt be so quick in making that statement?

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  8. Howdy Zee..

    I think we have to be careful with statistics.. information can be gathered in so many ways.. the outcomes of each method of gathering can give completely differing results.

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  9. Actually can't tell from that list who was safer between US and Russian Federation. I believe that the US has a slightly larger work force, it would be very close if you used the rate of fatalities per 1,000,000 workers.

    Japan looks to be relatively unsafe which is surprising.

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  10. He Tmess2, hope your weekend is off to a good start.

    these figures are rough estimates, but far far higher than I ever imagined they would be. The differences between the Country's reported fatalities and the estimations are huge.

    Ive been trying to find out more.. because in my initial conversation with my friend, he said he had heard that China's Construction Industry, alone, has over 170 fatalities PER DAY.

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  11. I'm saying that, in this country, we have government workers, and others, whose job description is showing up for work each morning and doing little else. It is pretty difficult to get hurt at work when one doesn't do anything all week.

    --M

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  12. Yeah, Russian ones wear sunglasses ;)

    I honestly don't know.

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  13. Hopefully none of ever find out the hard way...

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