2020 Yearender

Sixty workers were killed, six injured or ill, in twelve* serious work incidents in the Philippines in January-December 2020, an NTUC Philippines compilation of media reports show.

One incident in agriculture, another in a mill warehouse, three in  construction, one construction worker on the way to work,  one March medevac airplane incident, one June quarantine incident, one July incident in sand quarrying, one October mining mudslide, one October post-installing electrocution accident, one construction accident.

The lockdowns, plant closures, suspension of operations contributed to the ‘low’ level of incidents and deaths.

No media reports of any medical frontliner deaths have been reported since August 29. [This was the last media report. – Thirty-nine medical frontliners — 26 doctors, 6 nurses, 4 admin and 3 other staff staff — died working in different hospitals fighting CoVid-19. Two additional frontliners (one nurse, one doctor) died in August.]

Two construction workers were buried alive and two injured when excavated soil and debris fell on them while they were installing the steel frame foundation of a hotel in Legaspi, Albay on Dec 15 (Philstar)

Two internet service firm workers died when electrocuted while installing a concrete post in Albay on Oct 17. (Inquirer Mobile)

A heavy equipment operator died in a mudslide in a mining pit in Antique on Oct 2. (ABS-CBN News)

A welder working in his shop in Bolinao, Pangasinan died when he accidentally touched a live wire. Another worker died after he touched a live wire while working at a construction site in Enrile, Cagayan on Aug 22.

A PNP doctor died and two other officers from the national police medical reserve force were hospitalized after inhaling a disinfectant solution used to clean quarantine facilities in Metro Manila. (June 7, 2020 report)

Three crew, three medical personnel died in the medevac airplane incident in March.

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