5.5% of SSC subscribers work in hazardous professions — study

AMMAN — A total of 64,858 people — 7,595 females and 57,263 males — worked in hazardous professions and were subscribed to the Social Security Corporation (SSC) in 2020, according to a study published on the Labour Ministry’s website.

The report cited hazardous professions as “those that are likely to cause harm to the health, safety or life of the worker due to danger in the nature of the work or circumstances”.

Hazardous professions include professions such as radiologists, technicians, nurses, engineers and occupational workers. 

About 5.5 per cent of the total SSC subscribers work in hazardous professions.

The SSC’s website states that if SSC subscribers work in a hazardous profession and are above the age of 45, they are able to receive early retirement benefits with a shorter subscription period. 

For females who work in hazardous professions they only need to make 180 SSC subscription payments and for males only 216 payments before they can receive their social security benefits, according to the SSC.  

It is illegal to employee children, or anyone under the age of 18, in a hazardous profession, according to the Jordanian Labour Law (8) of 1996. 

Sami Hmooz, a plumber, said that despite all of the benefits the SSC can provide, he is unable to pay the monthly SSC subscription fee. 

He also believes the number of technicians who work in hazardous jobs is double the recorded number because the majority are not subscribed to the SSC.

“Every job has its own health hazards. While it is unhealthy to sit behind a desk for eight hours a day, working with chemicals pose more health risks,’’ Saeb Hamaydeh, an ER doctor at a private hospital in Amman said.

“Almost every day we come across work-related accidents. Unfortunately, in some cases the damage is irreversible, especially in construction sector accidents”, Hamaydeh added. 

According to the study, the salaries of the hazardous professions vary from one profession to another, starting from JD150 and ranging up to JD5,000. 

The SSC’s updated list included 42 hazardous professions. Seventeen professions have been removed from hazardous professions list for the year 2019, including pilots, carpenters and pharmaceutical industry workers.