Workers’ recorded death toll in factory accidents and incidents from January to June this year has reached 130, according to the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD). Thirty-one of these deaths occurred within just a month.
This alarming statistic again drew attention after a new tragedy: the explosion at Armscor Global Defense Inc. in Marikina, where two workers died and another was injured.
The Explosive Ordnance Division–K9 Unit’s initial investigation found that excessive heat and friction among materials led to a static discharge, which then ignited the “primer” component. This marks the second explosion in this plant, following a similar tragedy in February 2024 that injured several workers.
“Exposure to deadly risks must never be normalized, especially in hazardous and high-risk industries like arms and ammunition manufacturing. Companies in these sectors have an even greater responsibility to uphold the life, health, and safety of their workers,” IOHSAD stated.
According to IOHSAD, simply recognizing or apologizing for the tragedy does not suffice. “There must be accountability,” the group said. “It is not enough to acknowledge the incident. We must investigate potential violations of health and safety standards. If negligence is proven, the company must be held accountable.”
As worker deaths increase, including the tragedies at Armscor and a mine in Nueva Vizcaya, IOHSAD is again calling for stricter laws and penalties, such as criminalizing severe OSH standards violations to prevent more victims and provide justice for the bereaved families.
The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) stated, “Workers’ lives are not disposable; no one should die just to make a living. These deaths must not be reduced to statistics or brushed off as isolated events they demand action, justice, and meaningful change.”
Last year, the Philippines was again included in the list of the worst countries for workers, for the ninth consecutive year, according to the latest International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Global Rights Index 2024 report.
