Three workers die amid spate of fatal accidents

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 25 - Three more workers died as a spate of fatal workplace accidents in Italy continued between Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
    In the first case on Monday night, a 50-year-old, Nicola Sicignano, died during his work shift at a waste disposal firm in the town of Sant'Antonio Abate near Naples.
    According to an initial reconstruction, which still needs to be verified, the worker's head and an arm remained trapped in a conveyor belt.
    The area was seized as Carabinieri police from the Companies of Castellammare di Stabia and Torre Annunziata investigate the death together with labour inspectors and the ASL health authority in Naples.
    In the second case, a 22-year-old from Vajont near Pordenone, died instantly at around 1:30 am on Tuesday after he was accidentally stabbed in the back by an incandescent splinter while he was working on a machine to print industrial gear.
    Carabinieri police are investigating the death and have seized the plant.
    Meanwhile in the most recent fatality on Tuesday morning, a 38-year-old was run over and killed by a lorry while he was carrying out maintenance work on the A1 highway near Orvieto.
    Orvieto road police are probing this latest death.
    Italy is enduring a long spate of accidental workplace deaths.
    Workplace deaths were up 34% in Italy in January compared to January 2024, according to the latest data released by workplace accident insurance agency INAIL.
    The number of such fatalities was 45, 12 more than the 33 registered a year ago, it said.
    The national labour accidents and occupational illness agency also said the number of fatal work-related accidents had increased to 797 in 2024 compared to the 790 recorded in 2023.
    The increase in work-related deaths was mainly recorded in the industrial sector and in services , up to 669 from 686, while those in agriculture dropped from 107 to 102.
    Overall, the highest number of fatalities on the job were registered in the construction sector with 156 cases, transport and warehouse storage with 111 cases, manufacturing with 101 cases, trade with 58, rental and business support services with 38, INAIL said. (ANSA).