Last year 71 people died in industrial accidents in the Netherlands, a rise of 17 on the previous year, social affairs ministry inspectors said on Tuesday.

The construction sector was the worst affected, with 20 fatal accidents, followed by transport and logistics, and trade. Smaller firms with fewer than 10 workers are much more likely to be involved in fatal accidents than large ones.

‘Work has to be done more quickly and more efficiently with more unsafe situations and accidents as a result,’ said the ministry’s chief inspector Marc Kuipers.  ‘I am calling on companies to do more to make work safe, to improve safety procedures and to develop a culture of safe, healthy working practices.’

The number of fatal accidents has been between 50 and 70 for years, so last year’s total is not unusual, the ministry said.