Moldova: 56 fatal work accidents in 9 months; 4.8x EU rate
In the first nine months of 2025, a total of 515 workplace accidents were recorded in the Republic of Moldova, 56 of which resulted in fatalities, according to official data.
These occupational accidents are most frequently caused by falls from height, crushing, striking by equipment, object collapse, chemical and thermal burns, and electrocutions, stated Igor Ciloci, Deputy Head of the Labor Relations and Social Dialogue Policy Directorate within the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (MLSP), on Radio Moldova's "Zi de Zi" show.
"It must be noted that the causes are often combined; there are no causes that are exclusively dependent on the employee or exclusively dependent on the work equipment. According to statistics, the highest rate of accidents occurs among employees in construction, manufacturing, agriculture, transport, and warehousing. By definition, these are dangerous sectors—domains that inherently involve a series of high risks and require special instruments, such as work organization, employee training and preparation, prevention, and risk assessment—instruments designed to mitigate the risks characteristic of these areas," said Igor Ciloci.
In this context, the Ministry of Labor is promoting a series of policies to reduce risks, including the Program for Improving Occupational Safety and Health for 2024–2028, which targets employer and employee training, risk assessment, and improving work organization, Ciloci further noted.
The national campaign "Work with Care. Someone Dear is Waiting for You at Home" was also launched, aiming to raise awareness regarding compliance with safety standards.
Authorities intend to reduce the number of fatal accidents to 25 per year in the coming years, an objective that can only be achieved through a "joint effort of employers, employees, social partners, and the Ministry," Ciloci emphasized.
"Occupational safety and health (OSH) is an indicator of the quality of life in any state. OSH brings advantages to the employer by ensuring conscious, healthy employees who can develop high labor productivity. On the other hand, OSH measures ensure the physical and mental integrity of employees at the workplace, their health, and provide them with working conditions free from risk, allowing them to fully manifest their professional capabilities," Igor Ciloci mentioned.
It is worth mentioning that the workplace fatality rate in the Republic of Moldova is significantly higher than the European Union average: 4.8 lethal accidents per 100,000 employees, compared to 1.76 in the European Union.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
