Accidents at work, a simple card can save lives

The latest numbers and data available on health and safety at work do not allow us to sleep soundly. Accidents in the performance of contractual duties are very frequent. Inail recently indicated that in 2024 alone, the accident reports filed have largely exceeded half a million .

This is why talking about the topic, in search of better solutions, measures and protection tools is never out of place and, indeed, is a sign of attention to the psychophysical well-being of employees, an essential ingredient for company productivity.

Inail suggests considering a recent study by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (Eu-Osha), which details and explains the actual usefulness of identification cards in reducing unforeseen events and damage to health in the workplace.

The study on workers' identification cards

The Agency reports that, every year, many thousands of European workers die from work-related diseases and that serious and fatal accidents continue to occur even in countries considered “virtuous” or advanced.

In short, if it is true that precarious work , the Gic economy and digitalisation create new forms of risk, it is equally true that the issue of health at work is not only an Italian problem, but a continental one.

This is why Eu-Osha has produced an in-depth reflection paper entitled Labour Identification Cards and their Use for Occupational Safety and Health .

The contribution analyses studies and research on the subject and, in particular, evaluates the role and effectiveness of workers' identification cards as a tool to facilitate:

• compliance with national rules on health and safety at work (SSL);
• site inspections and monitoring of working relationships and conditions;
• the fight against undeclared work and social security fraud.

Addressing the problem of workplace accidents in a critical and constructive manner, the aforementioned document briefly defines these cards as means of individual certification that contain visible and digitally archived data, proving compliance with health and safety requirements by the company or the worker.

And, focusing also and above all on the construction sector - the one with the highest risk of accidents in all of Europe - the study recalls that, in this sector, temporary construction sites are not always up to standard, subcontracting chains are not at all uncommon and the secondment of workers is widespread. For this reason, the use of cards should be encouraged especially among construction workers throughout Europe.

The Agency also wishes to point out that the difficulties linked to the implementation and transversal diffusion of these tools include the diversity of national regulatory frameworks, the protection of personal data (in compliance with the GDPR ) and the costs for SMEs.

How workers can help

The analysis of the European Agency not only underlines that the cards would encourage the full application of the legal obligations provided for at national level, but also and above all makes some practical and useful considerations to understand all their potential for preventing damage to health .

They certify the training

The cards simplify the verification of the mandatory OSH training for those who work on construction sites, ensuring that only qualified and adequately trained personnel operate in high-risk accident environments.

Consider, for example, a construction worker who enters a building site and shows his card: the site manager, with a simple scan, can verify that he has completed the high-risk course required by law, and can start working immediately without having to show paper certificates or wait for cross-checks.

Specific qualifications

They also include information on any specific qualifications or health certifications , allowing safety managers to fully understand the actual skills and suitability conditions of the workers on staff.

Consider the safety manager who has to assign a job at height on scaffolding. By scanning the cards of those present, he will immediately identify who has the qualification for working at height and a valid medical examination, avoiding assigning the task to unsuitable personnel.

Monitoring working hours

They can monitor working hours , helping to prevent excessive fatigue and the dangers associated with it.

This may be the case of the worker who has already worked 10 consecutive hours on a very hot day. The system connected to the card automatically signals the exceeding of the hourly limits , preventing access to new activities to avoid injuries due to fatigue.

Workplace Restrictions

Finally, they track access to areas with specific hazards , ensuring that only authorised personnel can enter.

A typical situation on construction sites with chemical tanks with restricted access. Only those with a card with specific authorization can activate the badge to enter, preventing an untrained worker or one without protective devices from mistakenly accessing a high-risk area.

How do identification cards work in Italy?

Coming to the dimension of our country, the study in question leads us to remember that identification cards already exist in the construction world. This is because, although there is no organic regulation at a national level on the obligation for all work sectors, their use is a consolidated practice, particularly in construction sites.

In fact, the Consolidated Law on Safety ( Legislative Decree 81/08 ) contains the obligation for employers to provide workers with an identification card with a photograph, containing the personal data of the worker and the name of the employer.

This is an essential rule to ensure transparency and traceability in construction activities, which are fundamental for the prevention of accidents, the control of working relationships and the fight against the underground economy.

The usefulness of RFID technologies and QR codes

Not only that. Inail on its website recalls that various construction companies operating in our country have long implemented advanced systems that work with Rfid technologies (already seen in contactless payments) or Qr codes, in order to insert into the identification card not only the general data of the worker - but also information relating to his actual safety training, periodic medical visits and other specific qualifications.

In conclusion, in light of the alarming data on accidents and occupational diseases and the technical solutions already available, it is clear that the real challenge is not in inventing new tools, but in spreading their conscious and systematic use.

Identification cards are not a bureaucratic frill , but a concrete opportunity for businesses and institutions to collaborate in the construction of safer, more modern and transparent working environments, in which compliance with the rules is a guarantee not only of legality, but also of dignity and protection of human life .