There was one fatality in the workplace in the first three months of this year, according to statistics released by the National Statistics Office.

The NSO said the accident happened in the construction sector. There had been three workplace fatalities in the same quarter last year.

A total of 771 non-fatal accident claims were filed between the beginning of January and the end of March, a 3.4 per cent decrease, or 27 fewer claims, than in the first three months of last year.

Superficial injuries were the most common, constituting 39.3 per cent of the total.

Accidents at work involving such injuries dropped by 24. At 41.2 per cent, the proportion of men affected by such injuries was higher than that for women (30.1 per cent).

On the other hand, women tended to suffer more from dislocations, sprains and strains when compared with men. In the first quarter of this year, 43.6 per cent of the accidents affecting women involved such injuries, in comparison to 30.3 per cent of men.

More than a fifth of all work-related accidents, 20.9 per cent, happened in the manufacturing sector. These were closely followed by construction sector accidents, with 19.3 per cent. The transport, storage and communication sector was third with 13.4 per cent.

Nearly four in 10 accidents affected workers aged 45 and over.