HRANA News Agency – On the occasion of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) has published a report examining workplace accidents linked to unsafe environments and hazardous working conditions in Iran between May 2, 2024, and April 27, 2025.

According to data compiled by HRA’s Department of Statistics and Publications, during this period at least 2,079 workers lost their lives and at least 16,273 others were injured due to workplace accidents resulting from inadequate safety measures.

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work, established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2003, aims to raise global awareness of workplace safety and health, promoting accident and disease prevention in occupational settings. Since 1996, labor unions worldwide have also observed April 28 as International Workers’ Memorial Day, honoring workers who have lost their lives on the job.

HRA’s report highlights that the reported deaths and injuries were collected from media outlets and organizations monitoring labor rights across Iran. Among the most devastating incidents was the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, where 46 workers, including three women, had been killed as of the time of this writing. Official reports recorded over 1,242 injuries, although it remains unclear how many of those injured were workers. According to the head of the Bandar Abbas Workers’ Retirees Association, the majority of the victims were indeed laborers.

This tragedy, occurring just before the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, underscores the importance of stricter implementation of laws and continuous monitoring of compliance with safety principles in work environments.

The report also provides a breakdown of the causes of workplace accidents:

Falls from heights accounted for 22.63% of incidents,
Traffic accidents 14.23%,
Fires 10.57%,
Being struck by hard objects 10.37%,
Poisoning 8.85%,
Mining accidents 7.62%,
Gas suffocation 6.42%,
Factory incidents 6.39%,
Electrocution 6.19%,
Construction accidents 2.46%,
Well-related accidents 2.30%,
Explosions 0.81%,
Petrochemical and refinery incidents 0.49%,
Unspecified causes 0.23%,
Smoke inhalation 0.19%,
Agricultural accidents 0.13%,
Drownings 0.13%.

Iran ranks 102nd in the world regarding the observance of workplace safety standards, which is considered a very low ranking. HRA’s findings reflect the urgent need for improved occupational safety standards and continuous oversight to protect workers’ lives across Iran.