The report from the Construction Industry's Central Working Environment Council, (BCA) is based on figures from the Work Environment Authority and the Social Insurance Agency and shows that workplace accidents in parts of the construction industry increased in 2023 compared to 2022.
During the year, twelve fatalities occurred at workplaces in the construction and installation sector, seven more than the previous year.
A total of 2,188 accidents were registered in 2023.
In a press release, the trade union Byggnads comments on the report and describes 2023 as a dark year for the construction industry.
"Unfortunately, we see that the accident and sickness statistics are also going in the wrong direction. This is completely unacceptable and all companies must take greater responsibility and review their routines in everything from planning to procurement. The working environment must always be the top priority", says Lars Hildingsson, acting union chairman of Byggnads in a press release.
Magnus Olsson, national working environment strategist at Byggföretagen, acknowledges that the trend of decreasing workplace accidents was broken last year, but still believes that the industry has made progress.
"Over the past decade, the number of workplace accidents has been constant, while employment in the construction industry has increased. It is clear that the industry has made significant progress, even if the statistics for 2023 mean that the long-term trend of a decreasing number of workplace accidents is partially broken", he says in a press release.
The figures in the report concern sickness and accident statistics within two collective agreement areas, Byggavtalet and Väg- och banavtalet, which correspond to half of the industry.
