More fatal workplace accidents; Migrant workers overrepresented

In the first half of this year, 40 people died in workplace accidents in the Netherlands, NOS reports based on figures from the Labor Inspectorate. Last year, there were 52 fatal workplace accidents in the entire year. Migrant workers are overrepresented among the victims.

Rob Paumen of the Labor Inspectorate spoke of “a significant increase that concerns us.” The Labor Inspectorate has no easy explanation for the increase. The number of deaths seemed to be stabilizing in recent years.

According to trade union FVN, 2025 threatens to equal or surpass 2023, when 72 people died in workplace accidents. The causes of the accidents show that the victims primarily worked in the “notorious sectors,” a spokesperson told NOS. Those are construction, agriculture, transport, and industry.

“Many migrant workers are employed in the first two sectors,” FNV said. “We know that they are more likely to be accident victims. They often perform unskilled, low-paid, and temporary work in sectors where the risks are higher. They are also often highly dependent on their employer, making them less likely to report poor working conditions. Due to language barriers, instructions and warnings are not always properly understood, and these people are not properly trained.”

According to the Work Accidents Foundation, which advocates for victims and their families, staff shortages also play a role in the increasing accidents. “The pressure to do something ‘quickly.’ That’s why accidents happen more often,” chairman Klaas Zwart said.

The Work Accidents Foundation previously commissioned a study that found that workplace accidents occur more frequently in smaller and medium-sized companies. SMEs are less likely to be familiar with safety regulations and have less money to invest in safe working conditions.

Paumen of the Labor Inspectorate urged companies not to skimp on workplace safety. “Companies that structurally invest in safe working conditions have fewer accidents and therefore less absenteeism, less production loss, and fewer occupational risks.”