World Day for Safety and Health at Work: One-Year Statistical Report on Workplace Accidents in Iran

HRANA – On the occasion of World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the Human Rights Activists in Iran have examined the situation of workplace accidents caused by unsafe environments or working conditions over the period from 3 May 2025 to 27 April 2026.

According to data compiled by the organization’s statistics department, during this period, at least 586 workers lost their lives and at least 4,424 workers were injured due to workplace accidents resulting from unsafe environments or working conditions.

In 2003, the International Labour Organization (ILO), after extensive review, designated April 28 as World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The aim is to raise awareness about occupational safety and health, with an emphasis on preventing workplace accidents and diseases. In effect, it is an international campaign highlighting the importance of improving workplace safety and its impact on reducing work-related fatalities. Accordingly, governments are required to develop systematic policies and programs to monitor and enforce compliance with occupational safety and health regulations. It is also noteworthy that since 1996, labor unions worldwide have marked this day as a global day of remembrance for workers killed or injured on the job.

According to HRA’s Statistics And Documents Center, based on reports published over the past 12 months, the deaths of at least 586 workers due to workplace accidents linked to unsafe conditions have been reported by media outlets or relevant organizations.

In addition, 4,424 cases of work-related injuries have been reported and compiled by the organization’s statistics department.

Among the most tragic and notable incidents of the past year are: the deaths of 9 workers in a fire at an industrial workshop in Borkhar, located in Isfahan province; the poisoning of 17 workers by carbon monoxide gas in a cold storage facility in Fariman, Razavi Khorasan Province; the death and injury of 13 workers in a fire at the Kaveh Methanol Petrochemical plant; and the death and injury of 3 miners following a coal mine collapse in Nahroudbar, located in Mazandaran Province.

Based on the data collected by HRA’s Statistics And Documents Center, the causes of these incidents are distributed as follows: 20.28% construction-related accidents, 15.91% falls from height, 15.21% struck by hard objects, 11.89% fires, 7.69% mining incidents, 7.17% traffic accidents, 5.94% electrocutions, 3.32% explosions, 2.97% gas poisoning, 2.45% accidents in wells, 2.27% in factories, 2.10% poisoning, 1.05% drowning, 0.52% heatstroke, 0.52% smoke inhalation, 0.52% in petrochemical and refinery sectors, and 0.17% agricultural accidents.

Workplace Accident Categorization ChartWorkplace Accident Categorization Chart

World Day for Safety and Health at Work: HRANA’s Annual Report on Workplace Safety and Accidents in Iran

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%.

Workplace Accident Categorization Chart

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.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work: Annual Statistical Report on the Status of Work Accidents in Iran

In observance of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Human Rights Activists in Iran have released their annual statistical report on work accidents in Iran from May 4, 2023, to April 26, 2024. The report reveals that at least 1,680 workers died and 8,199 were injured due to unsafe working environments or conditions during this period.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) established April 28 as World Day for Safety and Health at Work in 2003 to raise awareness about occupational safety and health. The day aims to emphasize the prevention of workplace accidents and diseases, promoting the importance of improving workplace safety to reduce work-related deaths. In this regard, governments are required to develop a systematic policy and program for the inspection and enforcement of safety and health laws and policies. It is also worth mentioning that since 1996, this day has been observed globally by trade unions as a day to honor workers who have been killed or injured.

Iran ranks 102nd globally in terms of observing work safety issues, which is a significantly low ranking. According to the report, work accidents caused by a lack of safety in the workplace resulted in 1,680 deaths and 8,199 injuries over the past year. These incidents were reported by media outlets and organizations monitoring the situation.

The report provides a breakdown of the types of accidents:

   . 23.87% were due to falls from height
   . 19.71% were caused by fires
   . 9.58% were related to construction accidents
   . 7.59% involved impacts from hard objects
   . 7.59% occurred in factories
   . 6.69% were linked to well accidents
   . 6.51% involved electrocutions
   . 4.70% were related to vehicle accidents
   . 4.16% occurred in mines
   . 3.80% were due to gas poisoning
   . 2.53% happened in petrochemical plants and refineries
   . 1.08% were due to drownings
   . 0.90% were related to agricultural accidents
   . 0.90% were caused by poisonings
   . 0.18% were due to heat strokes
   . 0.18% were caused by frostbites

The findings underscore the need for stricter safety measures and regulations to protect workers across various sectors in Iran.