Some 24 people suffered a permanent disability while 14 died due to work-related accidents in 2020, the Labour Affairs Bureau indicated today (Friday).
Of the fatalities reported, four involved infractions to work safety regulations. Some MOP78,500 (US$9,820) worth in fines for violations of legislation on occupational health and safety were handed to nine people involving 17 work accident victims.
“All fatal cases were referred to judicial bodies to verify their classification as a work accident, and later DSAL will adjust the data according to the sentences handed down,’ the department noted.
Concerning matters related to workers’ compensation for damages caused by accidents at work, fines were imposed on 34 people, involving 127 victims, and totalling MOP153,500.
About a third of all work accidents involved workers in the ‘Cultural and recreational activities, lotteries and other services’, a category that covers gaming activities, with this sector together with ‘hotels, restaurants and similar’ and ‘construction’ sectors representing 63.2 per cent of all work accidents.
As for victims who suffered temporary incapacity due to work accidents, 486 individuals have not lost days of work, 922 have lost 0.5 to 3 days of work, 1,540 have lost more than 3 days, while 1,247 individuals are still investigating the days of work lost.
“In order to monitor the occupational health and safety situation in the various sectors of Macao, DSAL continues to carry out inspection visits to different work establishments, to order the suspension of work, recommend improvements and impose fines on situations due to lack of security, expecting employers and workers to become aware of the importance of safety knowledge and develop good work habits,” the department added.
