Workplace accidents fall 5% in the first half of the year
Jéssica de León highlighted a 5.11 % drop in workplace accident rates across the islands between January and July compared with the same period last year. Of the 24,717 reported work‑related injuries with sick leave in the Canary Islands in 2024, 1,907 occurred in Fuerteventura.
Meeting on Occupational Safety
The Canary Islands Ministry of Tourism and Employment released the data on Friday and emphasized the joint responsibility of workers, employers and trade unions in monitoring prevention and occupational health.
Jéssica de León travelled to the island to review the figures and meet with labour‑sector representatives. The gathering included:
- Vice‑Minister of Employment, Isabel León
- Director General of Labour, José Ramón Rodríguez
- Territorial Director of the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate, Francisco Guindín
- Provincial Labour Inspector, Andrés Fernández
- Director of the Canary Institute for Occupational Safety (ICASEL), Elirerto Galván
- Island authorities and union representatives from UGT and CC OO
During the session, participants examined the evolution of workplace accidents and the various initiatives the regional government and other bodies are implementing to strengthen a preventive culture and avoid occupational injuries and diseases.
“In the evolution of workplace accident rates in the Canary Islands from January to July of this year, the incidence index—measuring the number of work‑related injuries per 100,000 workers—declined by 5.11 % compared with the same period in 2024, while the employed population continues to grow,” said Jéssica de León.
1,907 Workplace Accidents Recorded in Fuerteventura
In 2024, the Canary Islands logged 24,717 work‑related injuries with sick leave; 1,907 of those took place in Fuerteventura, where accident rates also fell.
- Minor accidents: 1,097 (mainly due to overexertion)
- Serious accidents: 7 (including falls and non‑traumatic pathologies)
- Fatal accidents: 0
Occupational diseases were reported in four of the six municipalities, all within the services sector. The majority were linked to physical agents, with a notable number of musculoskeletal disorders. Betancuria was the only locality without any reported occupational disease in the past decade.
Scheduled Safety Visits with Companies
Jéssica de León reaffirmed the regional government’s commitment to occupational prevention and outlined the actions being carried out by ICASEL on the island:
- 20 company visits in collaboration with the Canary Confederation of Employers (CCE) to advise on integrating risk‑prevention management into workplaces.
- 10 construction‑site inspections under a technical follow‑up program, providing on‑site safety and health assessments and advice to firms.
- Tourist‑apartment inspections as part of the Ergonomics and Psychosociology Program in Las Palmas, verifying occupational‑risk preventive measures.
- Grant call for sectoral and inter‑sectoral business associations, trade unions and self‑employed workers to promote risk‑prevention actions; the Fuerteventura Tourist Business Association (ASOFUER) was among the beneficiaries.
These initiatives aim to sustain the downward trend in workplace accidents and reinforce a culture of safety throughout the Canary Islands.