12/06/2008
Six workers at a sewage treatment plant on the island of Sicily died after being overcome by poisonous fumes, Italian fire services and police said Wednesday. The six men were attempting to clean a nearly empty sewage basin in the Mineo community around 35 kilometres from Catania when the incident occurred. Further information was not available. Italian authorities said the six included four Mineo employees and two workers from a private firm.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano decried the deaths and urged stricter enforcement of safety rules. The number of accidents in the workplace has become a major political issue in Italy.
According to research institute Eurispes, an average of 1,376 people die each year in industrial or workplace accidents in Italy. In March, four men died when they inhaled toxic sulphur fumes in southern Italy.
Campaigners say companies often do not enforce regulations, and employees often work without basic safety equipment like helmets, goggles and face masks. It is thought the use of black market labour may also contribute to the number of accidents.
