Work-related deaths kill nearly 2 million people a year: UN agencies

The study by WHO and International Labour Organization, the first assessment of its kind, found that work-related diseases and injuries were responsible for the deaths of 1.9 million people in 2016

Nearly 2 million people die from work-related causes each year, including from illnesses associated with long working hours and air pollution, an estimate from UN agencies showed on Friday.

 

The study by the World Health Organization and International Labour Organization, the first assessment of its kind, found that work-related diseases and injuries were responsible for the deaths of 1.9 million people in 2016.

 

"It's shocking to see so many people literally being killed by their jobs," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, saying he hoped the report would be a "wake-up call".