Sharp decline in occupational accidents

Non-fatal occupational accidents dropped by 17.5 percent in the last quarter of last year when compared to the corresponding period of 2007, the NSO said today.

It said 820 persons reported having had an accident at work, a drop of 174 from the October-December period of 2007.

Just over a quarter of the accidents happened in manufacturing industry, followed by 16.6 percent on construction sites and 11% in transport and communications.

There were no fatal occupational accidents in the last three months of 2008, compared to three deaths in the same period in 2007.