At least 148 workers lost their lives in work related deaths in March 2026, according to new data from the Workers’ Health and Safety Assembly (İSİG Meclisi). Among those killed were eight children, 15 migrant workers and 16 women.
The latest figures mean that 432 workers have died in workplace killings in the first three months of the year alone, highlighting what campaigners describe as an ongoing crisis in occupational health and safety.
İSİG Meclisi reported that the leading cause of death was traffic and service vehicle crashes, accounting for 24 percent of fatalities. Heart attacks made up 19 percent, while 17 percent of workers died after falling from height.
Trade Unions and Campaign groups highlight that these deaths are preventable and are calling for urgent action to enforce workplace safety laws, protect children and migrant workers, and hold employers accountable for unsafe working conditions.
A case in point is the court case concerning the explosion at the Ravive perfume factory in Dilovası, Kocaeli, where seven workers lost their lives, the defendants’ claims that they had no commercial ties and that responsibility lay solely with their father have been undermined by bank records and company connections that have since come to light. Documents revealed by Halk TV have exposed major financial transfers and company links in the Ravive Perfume disaster in Kocaeli, where seven workers, including three children, were killed. This court case is ongoing but the risk to workers remains an ongoing concern for workers, trade unions and progressive organisations across Turkey.
