Safety Administration Report from January 2023: Summary and Some Conclusions
Mar 30, 2023
By: Omri Nisani, Civil Engineer, Licensed Insurance Agent
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration at the Ministry of Labor (hereinafter: the “Safety Administration” or “the Administration”) published last January (2023) findings from a comprehensive and important study on regulation, supervision, and enforcement of workplace safety between 2016 and 2022.
As an insurance agency specializing in construction insurance for over 35 years, and operating not only on a professional level but also in market education and awareness, we found it appropriate to review the report. The goal is to briefly present some of its main findings, especially in the context of the construction industry and worker safety.
In the following brief review, the report highlights trends in workplace accidents in Israel, examines how effective the state’s enforcement activities are, addresses the leading causes of fatal accidents, considers the proportion of foreign and Palestinian workers among casualties and fatalities, and more.
Before delving into the negative aspects, a positive point should be noted: according to the report, several improvement trends were observed and strengthened between 2020 and 2022. The most notable of these is a consistent and continuous decline in workplace accidents, both fatal and non-fatal—a trend especially pronounced in the construction sector, which has improved Israel’s ranking in this area compared to European countries. It also appears that the state has internalized its obligation to protect workers in general, and construction workers in particular, as reflected in increased enforcement and supervision.
(As a side note, it has been argued that the data presented by the Safety Administration may be biased positively to portray a better picture. We will not enter this debate here and will review the report as it is presented.)
From: Omri Nissany, Civil Engineer, Licensed Insurance Agent
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration at the Ministry of Labor (hereinafter: "Safety Administration" or "the Administration") published findings from a comprehensive and important study last January (2023) on regulation, supervision, and enforcement of occupational safety issues, between the years 2016-2022 .
As an insurance agency that has been dealing with construction insurance for about 35 years , and operates not only on a professional level but also in market education and awareness raising, we saw fit to review the document. This is in order to briefly present to you some of the main points that emerge from it, especially in the context of the construction industry and the safety of its workers.
In the following brief review, we will reflect on trends in the scope of work accidents in Israel from the report, examine the extent to which the state's enforcement activity is effective, address the main causes of death in fatal accidents, address the proportion of foreign and Palestinian workers in the number of injured/killed, and more.
First of all, a positive point: Before we start with negative aspects, it is worth noting several trends of improvement that emerged from the report, and which, according to the Safety Administration, intensified in 2020-2022. The most notable of these is a continuous and consistent decrease in the volume of work accidents (fatal and non-fatal). A trend that has occurred even more strongly in the construction industry and which has boosted Israel's ranking in the field compared to European countries. It also appears that the state has internalized its obligation to care for workers in general and construction workers in particular, and this is reflected in increased enforcement and supervision.
(In a sidebar, we note that some claim that the data presented by the Safety Administration is biased in favor of presenting a better picture of the data. We will not enter into this debate and will review the report here as it stands.)
Effective supervision and enforcement
Many factors in the economy often call for increased enforcement of occupational safety. This is from a perspective that sees tighter supervision as an effective tool for improving worker safety. In this context, the Safety Administration's report presents a somewhat encouraging picture.
The report shows that the Safety Administration is constantly increasing the scope of its inspection and enforcement activities, especially in the construction industry. For example, in 2022 alone, enforcement activities were carried out at more than 16,000 active construction sites .
At the same time, there was a tens of percent increase in the number of criminal investigation cases opened for occupational safety. 17 criminal investigation cases opened in 2022, compared to only 9 in 2020 and only two in 2019.
According to the report, the investigating units maintain close cooperation with professional experts and are in continuous contact with the Registrar of Contractors in order to impose significant sanctions on contractors. In other words, worker safety is not relegated to the sidelines but is given the spotlight it deserves.
Many stakeholders in the economy often issue calls to increase enforcement of workplace safety, based on the view that stricter supervision is an effective tool for improving employee safety. In this context, the report from the Occupational Safety Administration presents a somewhat encouraging picture.
The report shows that the Safety Administration is continuously expanding its supervision and enforcement activities, particularly in the construction sector. For example, in 2022 alone, enforcement actions were carried out at over 16,000 active construction sites.
At the same time, there was a significant increase in the number of criminal investigation files opened for workplace safety violations: 17 investigation files in 2022, compared to only 9 in 2020 and just 2 in 2019.
According to the report, the investigative units maintain close cooperation with professional experts and are in continuous contact with the Contractors Registrar to impose significant sanctions on contractors. In other words, worker safety is not being neglected; it is receiving the attention it deserves.
However, alongside these trends, which undoubtedly point in a positive direction, the road to the promised land is still far. Very far. An analysis of the scope of payments that the National Insurance Institute (NII) transfers to workers injured in the workplace and their families shows that it amounts to more than 6 billion shekels a year.
The Safety Administration addressed in the report the challenge of injuries to foreign and Palestinian workers, who are the main workforce on which the construction industry relies. Between 2016 and 2022, there was an increase of approximately 17% in the number of non-resident Israeli workers injured in work accidents (compared to a decrease of approximately 11% in the number of Israeli workers injured during the same period).
Where are workers injured? The numbers are clear and the most dangerous place for a worker unfortunately remains the workplace. About 75.2% of workers are injured in the workplace (about 10% of them in traffic accidents at work) and the rest on the way to or from work.
The scope of payments to victims is increasing and foreign workers and Palestinians are being affected more
Since the construction industry is the most dangerous of the employment sectors in Israel, the report devoted an entire and unique chapter to it. Right from the beginning, it was stated that, along with the increase in the number of construction starts (both by unit and by square meter), there was an increase in the number of days of incapacity in the industry compared to other industries.
The bright spot in this matter is that the number of accidents in the construction industry has also been decreasing over the years. This is certainly possible thanks to the combination of increased awareness and increased enforcement and supervision.
In 2022, there was a decrease of approximately 28% in the number of workers killed on construction sites in Israel compared to 2021, and a decrease of approximately 43% compared to 2019. However, approximately 46% of workers in Israel killed in work accidents come from the construction industry.
Fall from a height – the most deadly cause: Even in 2022, a fall from a height is the most deadly cause of death on construction sites in Israel, with an incidence of approximately 52%. In other words, one in two workers killed on a construction site is injured by a fall from a height. The second most common cause of death is “impact from a moving object as a result of falling from a height or hitting a flat surface.”
Are large contractors less careful? Unfortunately, absolutely not. More than half of the serious and fatal work accidents occur precisely on construction sites operated by the leading, largest and most well-organized companies in the country. Resource-intensive companies that certainly can and should (not to mention, must already yesterday) significantly increase their safety budgets. About 52% of fatal accidents occur on sites of contractors with a C/5 classification (the highest).
Spotlight on the construction industry
As is known, and as we remind you time and time again, contracting companies are the primary and central responsibility, by law, for the safety of workers on sites. The administration's report shows that at least once a month, on average, a contracting company is sent to discussions on safety issues with the Contractors' Registrar.
The most common decision made in these hearings, in about 23% of cases, is " suspension of a license on probation for 3 years plus a monetary fine ." Since 2017, only six times has the Registrar of Contractors actually revoked a contractor's license for a limited period, and only five times has a decision been made to completely revoke the company's license. That is, in the vast majority of hearings, the penalty does not include an actual sanction on the license.
Another sanction that can be imposed on the contractor is a stop work order. Geographically, according to the report, construction sites in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak receive the most stop work orders. Following them in the top five are sites in Haifa, Tel Aviv and Rishon LeZion.
How many licenses are revoked and which are the most dangerous cities?
In conclusion,
The report by the Safety Administration at the Ministry of Labor presents two aspects of the issue of safety, regulation, and supervision regarding work accidents in Israel. Both at a general level and with specific reference to the construction industry, which is considered the most dangerous of all.
On the one hand, it is impossible to ignore the positive numbers, primarily the decrease in the volume of fatal and non-fatal accidents. On the other hand, it is clear that the work is still extensive and complex. In the context of the construction industry, Israel cannot afford to be a place where almost every week we hear about another worker who was injured or another worker who fell. Beyond the loss of life, these are economic issues that affect the entire economy.
The report by the Safety Administration at the Ministry of Labor presents two aspects of the issue of safety, regulation, and supervision regarding work accidents in Israel. Both at a general level and with specific reference to the construction industry, which is considered the most dangerous of all.
On the one hand, it is impossible to ignore the positive numbers, primarily the decrease in the volume of fatal and non-fatal accidents. On the other hand, it is clear that the work is still extensive and complex. In the context of the construction industry, Israel cannot afford to be a place where almost every week we hear about another worker who was injured or another worker who fell. Beyond the loss of life, these are economic issues that affect the entire economy.
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