In January 2025, the Italian Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work Inail published its first annual report on work-related accidents and diseases in 2024
Through a comparison between the data collected in 2023, the 2024 INAIL report shows that over the past year the number of work-related accidents reported decreased by 0.7%. This decrease is particularly significant considering that an appreciable proportion of the accident reports were filed by students, who cannot be considered part of the labour force to all intents and purposes.
From a further analysis, it can be seen that that while work-related injuries (again disregarding students) decreased by 1.9%, there was a significant increase in reports of commuting injuries, i.e., injuries that occurred during the journey to or from work. These went up from 92,261 in 2023 to 96,835 in 2024, with a majority of these accidents being road traffic accidents.
It is important, however, to consider separately the reports that resulted in fatalities. If the analysis is limited to such cases, the INAIL report shows an increase in deaths over 2023. In actual fact, there were 7 more deaths in the workplace (up from 790 to 797) and 41 more deaths while travelling to or from work (from 239 to 280).
According to INAIL data, multiple accidents only partially contributed to the increase in the number of reports, but the situation is still cause for concern. Over the last ten years, there have been numerous fatal accidents involving more than one person, a phenomenon that accounts for a significant percentage of total deaths (over 3%). According to the INAIL report, besides natural disasters, the causes of such accidents include: explosions and fires in ATEX environments, road traffic accidents, collapse of structures causing falls and crushing, and accidents in confined environments, such as death by suffocation caused by the release of toxic vapours.
INAIL data also show that reports of occupational diseases increased by 21.6% in 2024, with a total of 88,499 reports (compared to 72,754 in 2023), 73.9% of which concerned men. In 2024, the most common diseases among workers were those affecting the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, followed by nervous system disorders. The latter continued to be the second leading cause of illness, while ear and mastoid process diseases ranked third.
The INAIL report also shows Italy's situation in the European context as every year, in fact, all member countries are required to send Eurostat a collection of data classified according to the ESAW (European statistics on accidents at work) coding system.
According to the data collected, where both fatal and non-fatal accidents are concerned, in recent years Italy has always recorded values below the European average.
Despite the positive outcome, however, this comparison is complex on account of differences in insurance systems and data collection methods in the various member countries, notwithstanding the existence of a uniform coding methodology.
Even though Italy has seen a significant decrease in work-related accidents, and accident rates are below the European average, the data recorded in the 2024 INAIL report point to an issue of fundamental importance. The figures, in fact, indicate the need to remain vigilant and to continue implementing targeted interventions to further strengthen safety in the workplace.
In particular, it is essential to focus on two pivotal aspects: commuting accidents, which occur when travelling between home and the workplace, and occupational diseases, which often arise from factors related to the working environment or the way activities are carried out.
Thus, it is necessary to invest resources, further strengthen preventive measures and raise awareness among companies and workers in order to prevent tragic consequences and promote an increasingly safe and protected working environment for all.
