Deaths at workplaces

One person died at the construction of a building in Tbilisi on April 23.

"He was a young boy, about 20 years old. He fell from the 21st floor," an eyewitness told the local media.

An investigation has been launched into the case.

According to official information provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 53 people died and 85 were injured at the workplace in 2016.

Georgia’s Public Defender repeatedly called on the Government and Parliament to provide proper safety regulations and carry out strict monitoring of their implementation, which could minimize the number of casualties at the workplace.

Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili considers the implementation of the recommendations would have prevented at least the some of the casualties.

Although the number of those killed and injured at work is increasing from year to year, the state does not take effective steps to prevent the tragedies and does not create an effective labour inspection mechanism.

The state's reaction is limited only by bringing the responsible persons to justice after the tragedy takes place.

In most cases, those who are employed on construction sites are from the regions, who arrived in the capital to find a job.

Most of them are unqualified, and learn how to build while working on construction sites.

Many construction companies save money and never pay proper attention to safety issues.

Death at the workplace must no longer happen in Georgia. The government must understand that they are not elected solely for the purpose of protecting the employers’ rights.