Workplace accidents in the temporary work sector have reached a historic low point in 2023, Prévention et Intérim (PI), the central sectoral prevention service, reported on Wednesday. However, these accidents have become more serious with more days of permanent incapacity for work.
The frequency rate (measuring the number of accidents per million hours worked) reached a value of 35.70 last year, the lowest ever recorded by PI since its creation in 1998. Worker safety temporary workers in the workplace are improving, including that of student workers, rejoices Prevention and Interim. According to information collected by the service from temporary employment agencies, 7,159 work accidents involving temporary workers and resulting in incapacity for work of at least one day were recorded in 2023. Temporary workers represented a total number of 143,180 days of incapacity for work, compared to 195,624 in 2022.
The result of a failing “welcome”
Accidents leading to permanent incapacity for work are therefore fewer in number, but Prévention et Intérim also notes that insurers grant more fixed days. In manual work, which represents nearly 92% of the days of incapacity for work after an accident, the overall severity rate (measurement of the total bodily damage resulting from all accidents per 1,000 hours worked) also presented a slight increase. According to PI, these accidents are often the result of poor “welcome”. This mandatory legal procedure must allow new workers to receive the information necessary to work safely. The temporary work sector in Belgium represented 200.6 million hours of work last year, the equivalent of 102,856 full-time workers, the study further calculates. Nearly 2.1% of the active population works with a temporary contract.
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