Official data, provided by the Regional Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IRSST), indicates that five fatalities were recorded in May alone. This figure represents an increase compared to May 2025, when three deaths were counted. The sectoral distribution of May's fatalities includes one victim in Industry (traffic accident), two in Construction (falls from height), and two in Services (commuting accidents, one due to a traffic incident and another from a lightning strike).
Regarding serious accidents occurring during working hours, the Construction sector saw an increase from 4 to 10 cases between May 2025 and May 2026, while Industry experienced a notable rise from 1 to 11 incidents. The Services sector, however, showed a slight containment, decreasing from 14 to 11 serious accidents.
The cumulative total for the first five months of 2026 amounts to 36,627 workplace accidents in the Community of Madrid, with 29,778 occurring during working hours and 6,849 classified as commuting accidents. Construction has accumulated a 46.43% increase in serious incidents (from 28 to 41), and Industry a 62.50% rise (from 16 to 26), along with a sectoral mortality increase from 1 to 2 fatalities. Serious accidents in Services decreased by 4.40% (from 91 to 87).
UGT warns that accident rates maintain structural patterns due to deficiencies in risk management. Non-Traumatic Pathologies (PNT), such as heart attacks or strokes, along with road accidents and falls from height, are the leading causes of mortality, accounting for nearly 50% of workplace deaths in 2026. Thermal stress from extreme temperatures exacerbates fatigue and reduces response times, particularly affecting outdoor work or jobs in poorly ventilated spaces.
Furthermore, the union points to an increase in psychosocial risks stemming from digitalization, production pressure, and precarious working conditions, which lead to chronic stress and temporary disabilities. In light of this situation, UGT urges companies to implement continuous and updated training programs in occupational risk prevention and calls for prevention services to adapt their methodologies. They demand a genuine preventive culture supported by sufficient economic and human resources to curb accident figures.
