Workplace fatalities rise in Calabria and Sicily amid national safety shifts

Data from Inail for the first seven months of 2026 reveals a complex landscape for workplace safety in Italy. While national fatalities saw a slight decrease from 432 to 422, specific regions and sectors are experiencing significant declines in safety.

In Calabria, workplace deaths increased by five cases compared to the previous year. Sectoral analysis shows that while deaths in agriculture fell from 64 to 55, the construction sector saw an increase from 67 to 76 cases. Deaths in business support services nearly doubled, rising from 16 to 28, and the healthcare and social assistance sector saw an increase from 4 to 11.

In Sicily, the situation is described as being in a ‘red zone,’ with an average fatality index more than 25% higher than the national average. In the province of Catania, five workers died during the first seven months of the year. Giovanni Musumeci, the territorial secretary of UGL Catania, has called for increased inspections and stronger reinforcement of agencies such as the Inspectorate, NIL, Inail, and Inps to address these safety failures.