The day serves to raise awareness about workplace safety and the number of people maimed, killed at work or affected by job-related conditions.
A total of two million people have suffered injuries at work over the last 20 years in Poland, and 12,000 cases of death have been registered in as many years. Chief Labour Inspector Tadeusz Zając has said that accidents at work are an increasingly severe issue. He believes that many accidents may be attributed to common consent to faulty practices that may lead to tragedy at the workplace.
The last several years have seen an increase in the number of accidents among people employed for construction works. Head of the Labour Protection Council, Katarzyna Mrzygłocka, believes this comes as a result of the outflow of highly skilled employees from Poland.
Other industries with the highest rate of accidents at work include mining, agriculture, and transport. According to the chief labour inspector, many accidents can be prevented, and it is the employer who is responsible for safety at work.
The National Labour Inspectorate is planning to increase controls in the most risk-prone industries and is to launch a prevention campaign intended to raise awareness about accidents in the construction sector.