According to the October Occupational Homicides Report of the Worker Health and Occupational Safety Assembly (İSİG Assembly), at least 193 workers lost their lives in October. Thus, the number of workers who lost their lives in occupational homicides in the first 10 months of 2026 reached 1,930.
On the day the report was to be announced, an explosion and fire broke out as a result of the ceiling crane breaking off and falling into the arc furnace at the HABAŞ Iron and Steel factory in Aliağa, Izmir. İSİG Assembly reported that 17 workers lost their lives and 12 workers were injured, one of them seriously.
The İSİG Assembly described the deaths in HABAŞ as "the end of the exploitation system in the factories" and drew attention to long working hours, lack of occupational safety and the continuation of production.
1930 WORKERS DIED IN THE FIRST 10 MONTHS OF 2026
According to the data of the OSH Council, in 2026, 155 workers lost their lives in occupational homicides in January, 129 in February, 151 in March, 190 in April, 214 in May, 228 in June, 216 in July, 227 in August, 227 in September and 193 in October.
Thus, the total number of workplace homicides in the first 10 months of the year increased to 1930.
It was stated in the report that 70 percent of the data was compiled from the national press, and 30 percent from workers' colleagues, families, fellow countrymen's associations, unions, workplace physicians, occupational safety experts and local press.
87 PERCENT OF THE DEATHS WERE PAID WORKERS
Of the 193 people who lost their lives in October, 167 were paid workers and 26 were self-employed farmers and tradesmen.
Accordingly, 87 percent of those who lost their lives in workplace homicides were wage earners and 13 percent were self-employed.
The OSH Assembly pointed out the increase in the share of paid employees, stating that this distribution was approximately 80 percent to 20 percent 15-16 years ago, when records of occupational homicides began to be kept.
THE MOST DEATHS ARE IN CONSTRUCTION
In October, the highest number of occupational homicides were recorded in construction, agriculture, transportation, ship and shipyard, accommodation, mining and metal industries.
Deaths are listed according to business lines as follows:
Agriculture and forest: 40
Construction and roads: 38
Transportation: 23
Ship, shipyard, sea and port: 17
Accommodation and entertainment: 15
Mining: 12
Metal: 12
Municipal and general affairs: 10
Commerce, office, education and cinema: 7
Food and sugar: 5
In sectoral distribution, 74 industrial, 42 construction, 40 agricultural and 37 service sector employees lost their lives.
THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DEATH IS CRUSHING AND DDEN.
According to the report, the most common cause of occupational homicides in October was crushing and collapse.
43 workers lost their lives due to crushing and collapse, 35 due to traffic and service accidents, 30 due to falling from height, and 20 due to heart attack and brain hemorrhage.
16 workers lost their lives due to violence, 9 due to explosion and burning, 9 due to electric shock, and 6 due to object hitting or falling.
The ISIG Assembly also reported that 13 maritime workers lost their lives on ships operated by Turkey-based companies as a result of Russian-Ukrainian attacks in the Black Sea.
9 CHILD WORKERS LOST THEIR LIVES
In October, 9 child workers lost their lives: four in agriculture, three in construction, one in metal and one in accommodation.
Four of the children who lost their lives were 14 years old and under, and five were between the ages of 15-17.
The report points out that child labor has been made invisible, especially in unregistered areas, and that child deaths continue in agriculture, industry, construction and service sectors.
AT LEAST 15 WOMEN WORKERS LOST THEIR LIVES
At least 15 female workers lost their lives in October.
Six of these deaths were recorded in agriculture, three in accommodation, three in general business, one in food, one in trade and one in health.
The OSH Assembly pointed out that the deaths of female workers are not adequately reflected in official statistics, especially in the field of agriculture, where working without insurance is common.
25 MIGRANT WORKERS DIE
According to the report, at least 25 migrant workers lost their lives in October.
17 of those who lost their lives were Syrian, three from Turkmenistan, two from Afghanistan, two from Azerbaijan, and one from Egypt and one from Ukraine.
The İSİG Assembly stated that immigrant and refugee workers have become more vulnerable to occupational homicides due to precarious working conditions.
94 PERCENT OF THE DIED WORKERS WERE NON-UNION
It was stated that at least 11 of the workers who lost their lives in October were union members, while 182 were working without a union.
Accordingly, 6 percent of those who lost their lives were union members and 94 percent were non-union.
Five of the unionized workers were working in mining, four in metal and two in chemicals.
THE HIGHEST DEATHS ARE IN ISTANBUL
The İSİG Assembly detected occupational homicides in 58 cities of Turkey and seven countries abroad in October.
The highest number of deaths was recorded in Istanbul with 23 workers. Istanbul was followed by Ankara with 12 deaths, Bulgaria with 10 deaths, and Manisa with 9 deaths.
eight each in Antalya, Konya and Sakarya; seven in Bursa; In Zonguldak, five workers lost their lives.
The OSH Assembly completed its report by commemorating the names of 193 workers who lost their lives in work murders in October 2026.
