Construction Sector Records Most Injuries

RIYADH: The construction sector led the list of accidents in the private sector, with 47 percent of the total 15,363 work-related injuries in the first quarter of 2016.

According to statistics released by the Social Insurance Organization, injuries occurred in nine economic activities, with commercial activities ranking second at 3,538 (23 percent) injuries, followed by manufacturing industries’ sector with 2,324.

Finance, insurance, real estate and business service activities registered 961 injuries during the same period.

Riyadh ranked first in injuries in the private sector in comparison with the rest of the Kingdom’s provinces, with 20.4 percent.

The vocational risk branch in the social insurance system is implemented in an obligatory manner on all workers in the private sector, including Saudis and expatriates, without gender or age discrimination.

The employer pays the fees on a monthly basis and covers all injuries during work or while traveling to the workplace or traveling on job for such purposes as sales or delivery of goods, besides illnesses due to work.

The number of subscribers in the private sector reached 10.2 million at the end of the first quarter. Private sector employees registered with social insurance increased by 1 percent compared to the fourth quarter of last year. The number of subscribers during the fourth quarter reached 10.1 million.

The number of Saudi subscribers stood at 1.72 million, which is 17 percent of the total number of subscribers.

The number of expatriates in the private sector who are registered for social insurance was 8.51 million or 83 percent in the first quarter of 2016.

As for wages, the number of Saudis who receive a maximum salary of SR3,000 stood at 838,700 employees or 49 percent of employed Saudis. On the other hand, the number of expatriates drawing less than SR3,000 was 7.4 million at the end of the first quarter of 2016.

(Source: ArabNews.com)