Do not repeat the tragedy of corona and labor accident husband August 17 17:13

A
bereaved family says, "My heart is shattered and I seem to be in the dark every day ."
A 76-year-old man was infected with the new coronavirus and died in May this year. The man continued to work after retirement and devoted most of his life to the company. The health center said that the man was suspected of being infected at work, but the bereaved family's labor accident procedure finally began to work almost two months after the man's death.
Sudden family death due to an invisible virus. Through the appeal of the bereaved family, we will consider the problems surrounding the new coronavirus and the company's response.
(Fukuoka Broadcasting Station reporter Keizaburo Morinami)

A company dedicated to half a century...

A 76-year-old man in Fukuoka Prefecture who died of being infected with the new coronavirus joined a major company in the prefecture at the age of 19.
I worked as a contract employee even after retirement, and I have worked for 57 years including affiliated companies.
He says he was proud of his company and work, and valued his colleagues like his family.
I was worried about the diet of my single colleague and sometimes gave my wife homemade food.

Caring for my wife until the end

In
April, a man who came home from work confided to his wife with a serious expression that "a salesperson in the workplace was infected ."
It is said that the physical condition of men has gradually deteriorated since this time.

The man suspected he might have been infected with the new coronavirus, fearing that he could infect his family, and kept him out of his room as much as possible.

A note was left in the room.

"I'm tired. I'm fluttering."
"I want to ask for a PCR test. I want to be hospitalized."

While the man was getting conscious of a high fever of about 39 degrees, he also called the public health center for inquiries regarding PCR tests and recorded the exchanges.

The man was admitted to the hospital urgently after a positive result was confirmed in late April when his physical condition worsened.
While I was almost unable to visit my family, I took my breath three weeks after being hospitalized.

"My wife is tired." The
remaining note noted feelings of concern for his wife, even in distress.
The wife regrets whether she could have been able to snuggle up to her husband's suffering.

Words to the unexpected bereaved

It is said that the bereaved family was discouraged by the company's response, as if to overthrow her husband's death, which was unexpected.
My boss and colleagues say that there was almost no condolence.
My wife thought she was infected at work because of her husband's stories, but says that she was hurt by the words from the company's manager.

Male wife
"When I say that I was infected by a colleague at work, the company employee says, "It's not the case. I may have been infected when I went somewhere." My husband wasn't playing around or drinking at night, and he said that he couldn't think of getting any infection other than at work because he only had to go back and forth between the company and his house. I went home without saying anything, and I was once told by another person related to the company that I didn't want to go home because it was dirty in the corona. I regret that it is a treatment for my husband who burned my life hard, but I was sorry ..."

Not a workplace infection

How was it explained to other employees in the male company at that time?
Multiple employees responded to the interview.
One of the employees said he had the following explanation at work the day after the man died:

Employee
“Everyone in the workplace was urgently gathered. I thought there was an explanation as to how the man died, but my boss said, “I was outside the company. ``I haven't,'' he was constantly saying affirmatively that he was infected outside the workplace.

Also, according to the employee, the man's seat in the workplace was very close to the colleague who had the first confirmed infection.
When the co-worker's infection was revealed, the man said to his surroundings, "I'm worried that I'm not infected because I'm close to my seat."

It is said that employees who responded to the interview were worried about what kind of response the company would take if they were infected.

Employee
"I felt that the company was terrifying or frightening if I thought I would be treated like this if I was infected and died."

What is the infection route? Industrial accident procedures that have begun to move

How was the infection route in men?
According to Fukuoka Prefecture, a public health center survey revealed that a man was in contact with an infected colleague and was suspected of being infected at work.

When NHK applied for coverage to the company, the following responses were made in writing.

“We recognize that it is difficult to identify the infection process of an infected person, including whether it was an infection at work or at work. It is probable that it was an infection from a colleague. I understand that it is medically difficult to make an assertion, even though it can be recognized as expensive.''

This June, NHK has broadcast the appeal of the bereaved family on a news program for Fukuoka prefecture.
After this, it is said that the company executives visited the bereaved family.
It means that the company has begun responding to work-related accident claims in a way that the bereaved family has requested.

Don't waste my husband's death

The man's wife responded to the interview in the sadness of losing his irreplaceable husband, "It seems that he is in the dark every day."
Don't waste your husband's death.
It is an appeal of the bereaved family.

Male wife
"For the company, there may be any number of alternatives to the husband. But we are the only husband and the father. We can't say anything bad about a company so loved by the husband. Please take thorough measures to prevent infection for employees who are still working, and do not repeat the same kind of sadness as ours."

Connect to workplace infection control

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, as of last month, there were 797 applications for work-related accidents related to the new coronavirus, of which 266 were certified work-related.
Looking at the number of industrial accident applications by industry,
▼ 669 medical workers accounted for 84% of the total,
▼ transport industry, 20 postal services,
▼ 9 construction projects,
▼ wholesale trade, retail trade Is 8 and
▼ is 5 manufacturing industries.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is actively calling for applying for industrial accidents.
This April, the notification issued to labor nationwide nationwide revealed that medical workers such as doctors and nurses were basically injured unless they were infected with the new coronavirus or when it was clear that they were infected outside of work. It is a policy to admit.
In other industries, even if the infection route is not specified, if there is a high possibility that the infection occurred during work, it will be recognized as an industrial accident.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare says that the Labor Standards Inspection Office will investigate an application for a work-related accident, increase the tension of the company and business owner, and lead to infection control in the workplace.
On the other hand, experts have pointed out that the number of applications for industrial accidents may be lower than the actual situation.

Workers have the right to apply for their own injury or their bereaved family, but there are many cases where they do not know about it.
Furthermore, looking at cases nationwide, it seems that discrimination and prejudice over the new coronavirus are also affecting.
There is a possibility that companies may not try to cooperate with the work accident because they are worried about the deterioration of the image.

Kou Mitsunaga Attorney
"There is a good chance that a company will be held liable for social and legal responsibilities for a company's failure to protect its employees. It is expected that companies will want to avoid that responsibility. Whether the measures were sufficient, and maybe it was a preventable death, it is important to face it seriously and take measures against future infectious diseases."

Infection with the new coronavirus, work-related injuries, and the work environment are problems for all workers. We would like to continue our coverage. We look forward to hearing your opinions and information.

News post

Fukuoka Broadcasting Station reporter
Keizaburo Morinami