The provisional occupational health report for March reveals that the Madrid region suffered three professional fatalities. Two of these deaths occurred during working hours, while the third happened in itinere, meaning on the commute to or from work.
Both in-work fatalities were in the industrial sector. One was attributed to a non-traumatic pathology, and the other to a crushing incident. Although the number of deaths is lower than in previous periods, CCOO Madrid considers these figures unacceptable for worker safety.
These numbers highlight a structural problem in risk prevention. The difference between a very serious injury and a fatality is purely a matter of chance, which prevents the slight decrease in mortality from masking the overall deterioration of safety conditions.
The most concerning data point in the report is the sharp rise in serious accidents. In March, 43 serious accidents occurred during working hours, representing a 72% increase compared to the same month in 2025. When considering all serious accidents, including commutes, the increase stands at over 45%.
The recent crushing accident has reignited the debate on load management and task organization. CCOO Madrid insists that current risk assessments are not translating into real preventive measures in workplaces, citing a lack of resources, planning, and supervision as direct causes.
In response, the trade union organization has put forward a series of urgent demands. These include the implementation of specific mobility plans by companies to reduce in itinere risks, the execution of genuinely effective and not merely administrative risk assessments, increased oversight and vigilance over companies violating current regulations, and greater investment in training and resources to ensure workers are not exposed to avoidable situations. The union concludes that most of these incidents are not inevitable but rather the consequence of a lack of foresight and effective control over compliance with prevention laws.
