Rise in workers’ death already alarming

The Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD) is urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to confront the alarming increase in worker deaths across the country.

In its Midyear Report on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Workplace Accidents, covering January to July 2025, IOHSAD documented 217 work-related incidents, resulting in 153 worker fatalities and 255 injuries across various industries.

IOHSAD stressed that these figures, derived from verified news reports, expose the critical state of occupational safety and health in the Philippines.

Road traffic injuries remain the leading cause of workplace deaths and injuries, followed by violence and harassment, fire and explosion, electrocution, and collapses. The transportation, logistics and delivery sectors, along with construction, are the most heavily affected industries.

“These are not just numbers. Each death, each injury, represents a worker whose life has been cut short or irreversibly changed due to unsafe conditions that could have been prevented,” IOHSAD said.