Workplace accidents in the construction and installation sector decreased by 3.3% in 2023, according to a report by the construction federation Embuild released on Wednesday.
This reduction is nearly twice that of all other sectors, which saw a decrease of 1.7%.
There were 65 fewer workplace accidents in 2023 compared to 2020, the year of the coronavirus pandemic when many construction sites were halted due to lockdowns.
In 2023, the number of accidents with at least one day of work incapacity in the construction sector totalled 7,613.
"We aim to further drastically reduce the number of accidents in our sector," said Niko Demeester, CEO of Embuild. "This is why we believe that basic safety training is essential."
Since 15 April 2023, everyone working on a construction site must undergo eight hours of safety training. Companies that fail to comply with this rule face penalties.
Despite encouraging statistics, the construction federation notes that current figures from the Federal Agency for Occupational Risks (Fedris) do not include accidents involving self-employed workers and detached workers. The federation urges that these accidents be recorded to provide a complete picture of safety conditions.
Furthermore, Embuild advocates for safety to be included as a separate element in all public procurement contracts and for this cost to be exempt from competition, to prevent the temptation to cut safety measures.
