The goal for 2010 to reduce by 20% the number of sick leaves due to work accidents, pursued by the government with the 2005 reform, is suffering from a shock. From 2005 to 2006, deadly work accidents have increased for the third year in a row. The alarm was given by the AT (Arbejdstilsynet), the Labour Inspectorate, in August, when it published its data for 2006. Trade unions are accusing the government of loosing track of the prevention's interest. (Ref. 070734)
Serious accidents went from 4.878 to 5.787, that is 500 more in one year, and there were 62 deaths, that is 3 more than in 2005, which already held a record with 59 deaths.
The work rhythm is intensifying and there is no prevention. Even if the AT ascribed this increase to the growth in the employment rate and to the acceleration of the work rhythm (but also partly to the new regulations which make it easier to denounce accidents and their compensation), it deepened its research to bring light on its causes and to come up with a strategy to curb this phenomenon.
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