Patterns of Occupational Safety Violations and Enforcement Strategies: Insight from a Multi-Year Analysis in Abruzzo, Italy

Abstract

Occupational injuries and work-related diseases remain a major concern in Italy, particularly in high-risk sectors such as construction, agriculture, manufacturing and healthcare. This study retrospectively analyzed a series of breaches of occupational safety regulations and the determining factors that caused them over a seven-year period in a mixed industrial-rural area of Abruzzo, Italy. Inspections were classified by period (pre-pandemic, post-pandemic), economic sector, type of intervention, type of violation, multiple non-compliances, responsible party, age of the responsible party, and restored compliance. Two hundred and seventy-four inspections led to penalties, mainly in the construction sector (65%). Procedural violations were the most frequent, followed by structural, documental, and combined violations. Violations and the violation/inspection ratio decreased after the pandemic. The type of violation was significantly associated with the economic sector, the type of intervention, and the responsible party; moreover, the pandemic period was associated with changes in sectoral inspections, violation patterns, multiple non-compliances, and restoration of compliance. The results highlight sector-specific and context-dependent compliance dynamics, with construction and agriculture presenting complex chains of responsibility. Strengthening an integrated inspection–training supervisory body may improve long-term compliance and safety governance. This study proposes a pilot model for standardized data collection enabling comparative analyses across sectors and institutional contexts.