Workplace deaths: Italy’s unending emergency

In 2025, 1,093 fatal workplace accidents were reported in Italy. This is a figure posted every year with only slight variations. The regular recurrence of this tragic toll raises a troubling suspicion: we may have resigned ourselves to workplace deaths as inevitable. Safety enters public debate almost only after tragedies, fueling outrage for a few days, and then fading soon afterwards. This prevents the insurgence of a serious prevention culture, normalizes risk, and turns workplace deaths into almost expected events. If we want to reverse course, safety must become the top priority on the labor agenda. There is room for improvement—but we must clearly identify where and how to act.

Strong laws, weak prevention

Each time a fatal accident makes headlines, calls emerge for stricter laws. Yet Italy already has one of the most advanced regulatory frameworks in Europe. Legislative Decree 81/2008 consolidated decades of legal development, strengthening obligations and enforcement tools. As early as 1970, the Workers’ Statute granted employee representatives the right to monitor safety compliance and promote protective measures. However, these rules are not always fully implemented. Structural factors play a role: Italy’s economy is largely made up of small firms with limited resources. Inspecting every workplace is impossible. A shift is needed—from sporadic inspections to preventive intelligence based on integrated public data. Institutions such as the Ministry of Labor, INPS, and INAIL hold valuable data that can help identify risk patterns and target interventions. New technologies can also play a key role: AI-powered systems already used on construction sites can detect risks in real time while protecting workers’ privacy.

The hidden risk of undeclared work

Another major risk factor is undocumented work. INAIL data show that irregular workers are far more likely to suffer workplace accidents. They are invisible to the system: untrained, uninformed, uninsured, and often vulnerable to exploitation. Fighting undocumented work is not just about legality—it is essential for saving lives.

Companies and training: a necessary shift

On the employers’ side, there is a risk of reducing safety to mere compliance. This is short-sighted: accidents carry high costs, from insurance to productivity losses and legal liability. A safe company performs better, attracts talent, and builds trust. Training must also be rethought. Not only mandatory courses—often rushed through—but continuous, high-quality professional training. Skilled workers understand risks, manage them, and prevent incidents. Investing in skills means protecting lives and strengthening the economy. The laws exist. The data exist. The technology exists. It is time to move from reactive outrage to a concrete plan for zero tolerance on workplace safety.