70,000 on-the-job injuries, says GOSI

The General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) has reported that most work-related injuries in the Kingdom involve Saudis covered by social insurance. Their injuries are mostly in industrial sectors while expat injuries are concentrated in building and construction.
The GOSI report showed some 70,000 work accidents recorded by the public and private sectors and distributed among nine economic fields.
The report showed accidents involving Saudis during work were 3,732 about 5.4 percent of the gross accidents. However, the mishaps involving expatriates were around 65,000, more than 94 percent.
The report showed most of the injuries were to Saudis in the industrial sector as 1,242 of them were injured followed by 544 in the commercial sector, 496 in mining and quarrying, 481 in construction and building, 373 in social services and 254 accidents in electricity, gas and water.
The fewest accidents for Saudi workers were in the agricultural and fisheries sector with only 61 accidents.
Concerning legal expatriate workers, the most accidents were in construction with 35,552 injuries; in the commercial sector, the figure was 12,948 and in industry it exceeded 11,400.
The GOSI report showed the fewest accidents among expatriates were also in the agriculture and fisheries sector at 593. Professions in this sector were the least risky for both Saudi and expatriate workers.
The GOSI council has finalized cooperative health insurance for all Saudis and their families in companies and institutions of the private sector. The cooperative health insurance document includes all workers in these companies and institutions including their families.
The council earlier stated to the private sector their obligation to apply cooperative health insurance to Saudis and their families in the sector through contracting insurance companies credited by the council in order to cover their share of health insurance.
The Council of the Cooperative Health Insurance called on companies and institutions and whose employment of non-Saudis reaches 500 and above to follow the cooperative health insurance rules.