European Statistics On Accidents At Work Research Articles

Work-related head injury and industry sectors in Finland: causes and circumstances

ObjectiveDespite the continuous development of occupational safety, the prevalence of work-related head injuries is excessive. To promote prevention, we conducted a study evaluating the risks and pathways that precede head injuries in different economic activity sectors.MethodsIn Finland, more than 90% of employees are covered by inclusive statutory workers’ compensation. We obtained data on occupational head injuries in 2010–2017 from an insurance company database. The European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) variables represented the characteristics of the accidents and the injury. We analysed the risk factors, contributing events and injury mechanisms in 20 industry sectors, based on the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE).ResultsIn the 32,898 cases, the most commonly affected area was the eyes (49.6%). The highest incidence of head injuries was in construction (15.7 per 1000 insurance years). Construction, manufacturing, and human health and social work activities stood out due to their distinctive ESAW category counts. ‘Working with hand-held tools’ [risk ratio (RR) 2.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.14–2.32] in construction and ‘operating machines’ (RR 3.32, 95% CI 3.01–3.66) and ‘working with hand-held tools’ (1.99, 1.91–2.07) in manufacturing predicted head injury. The risk related to parameters of violence and threats in health and social work activities was nearly ninefold the risk of other sectors.ConclusionThe risks and pathways preceding head injuries varied considerably. The highest head injury rates were in construction and manufacturing. Violence emerged as a major risk factor in human health and social work activities.

Risk Profiling from the European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) Accidents' Databases: A Case Study in Construction Sites.

The number of accidents and victims in the construction sector has not decreased significantly despite the increasingly stricter laws and regulations. The analysis of accidents, as well as their root causes and determinants can certainly contribute to the development of more effective preventive interventions. The present study proposes a methodology for the analysis and synthesis of data provided by accidents statistics with the goal of defining specific risk profiles based on the accidents determinants, their variables, and how they interact with one another in influencing the occurrence of an accident. For this purpose, a procedure capable of extracting this type of information from the European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) database was developed. In particular, data processing and aggregation are performed by means of the synergic use of the Matrix of Descriptors (MoD) and cluster analysis. To validate such a procedure, the analysis of fatalities due to electrical shocks was carried out. The results achieved allowed us to elicit valuable information for both safety managers and decision makers. The proposed methodology can facilitate a systemic analysis of accidents databases reducing the difficulties in managing reports and accident statistics.

How Reliable Variables That Entered on SGK Accident e-Notice?

It is possible to analyze occupational accident statistics, the modeling of risks that cause accidents and identification of accident causes, to decrease occupational accidents. Occupational accidents started to be reported considering ESAW (European Statistics on Accidents at Work) standards with e-notice since 2013. Occupational accident notifications started to be reported with new standard caused to perform a comparative analysis of accidents and within the scope of a standard. Therefore, these notifications and analyzes can give direction guide national occupational safety strategy activities. Although the obligation to make such notifications is in the employer in our country, the online notification system has enabled all variables of occupational accidents to be sent to relevant public institution in the easiest and most accurate way. This study aims to analyze the reliability of the variables in the ESAW methodology at the practice level. In this context, 264 occupational accident occurred between 2015-2017 were analyzed in an industrial workplace. In this study, the variables reported both by the human resources department responsible for making necessary notifications to official institutions and by the occupational safety specialist responsible for ensuring occupational health and safety at workplace where the accident is experienced will be used. The reliability of the ESAW methodology variables in the accident reports will be analyzed by the reliability coefficient (Kappa Test). The results of the analysis will be examined and the recommendations will be given to be more reliable of variables.

Quality evaluation of official accident reports conducted by Labour Authorities in Andalusia (Spain).

A public accident investigation is carried out when the consequences of the incident are significant or the accident has occurred in unusual circumstances. We evaluated the quality of the official accident investigations being conducted by Safety Specialists of the Labour Authorities in Andalusia. To achieve this objective, we analysed 98 occupational accident investigations conducted by the Labour Authorities in Andalusia in the last quarter of 2014. Various phases in the accident investigation process were examined, such as the use of the Eurostat variables within European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW), detection of causes, determination of preventive measures, cost analysis of the accidents, identification of noncompliance with legal requirements or the investigation method used. The results of this study show that 77% of the official occupational accident investigation reports analysed were conducted in accordance with all the quality criteria recommended in the literature. To enhance glogal learning, and optimize allocation of resources, we propose the development of a harmonized European model for the public investigation of occupational accidents. Further it would be advisable to create a common classification and coding system for the causes of accidents for all European Union Member States.

Work accidents during cable yarding operations in Central Europe 2006 – 2014

Aim of study: This study is focused on detailed analysis of accidents in yarding during the years 2006–2014. There is still not enough information about such accidents in Central Europe in the literature available.Area of study: We collected the data on occupational accidents recorded in timber yarding from the databases of the Slovak state forest enterprise. Material and Methods: The data on occupational accidents were recorded according to actual European Regulation, the form of the record meets the requirements of the ESAW (European Statistics on Accidents at Work) methodology. To analyze the data, we used the multiple regression and correlation analysis, contingency tables, and a χ2 –test.Main results: Almost half of the accidents were the foot injuries and the most frequent type of injury was fracture of a bone. The most hazardous operation was yarding. Most of the accidents occurred between 1301-1400 h (22 %). The most frequent agent causing accidents were Particles, dust, splinters, fragments, etc. (14.05 by ESAW). Research highlights: This study informs about the most important risk factors in timber yarding, the most hazardous parts of shift, as well as the days when the most accidents occur during the week, and as such contributes to better understanding of how the accidents happen in timber yarding. The information can be subsequently used in knowledge-based improvement of safety trainings in forest enterprises.

Analysis of Work Accidents in Timber Transport in Slovakia

From the aspect of safety at work, we consider the timber transport under the risky works. Data about accidents at work in forestry for the period 1996 – 2014 were summarized. The database contained more than 1500 work accidents in forestry. Laboratory Accident Coding Methodology was used, according to European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW). In total, 105 registered work accidents in timber transport, during the investigated period, were recorded. This correspond to 7% share of registered work accidents. From the anthropological aspect, the legs and whole body were most frequently injured. The highest number of accidents on Tuesday were recorded, with the most risk month of February. The highest accident rate in 2002 were recorded. In general, forestry is classified as a risky activity. The timber harvesting and transport process belongs to the most risky works, from the aspect of the risk formation on the work accident, which are in forestry conducted. From all phases, which are in this process involved, the phase of timber transport is the least risky, in terms of the risk rate on accident formation as well as the absolute abundance of accidents.

Occupational Accidents with Agricultural Machinery in Austria

ABSTRACTThe number of recognized accidents with fatalities during agricultural and forestry work, despite better technology and coordinated prevention and trainings, is still very high in Austria. The accident scenarios in which people are injured are very different on farms. The common causes of accidents in agriculture and forestry are the loss of control of machine, means of transport or handling equipment, hand-held tool, and object or animal, followed by slipping, stumbling and falling, breakage, bursting, splitting, slipping, fall, and collapse of material agent. In the literature, a number of studies of general (machine- and animal-related accidents) and specific (machine-related accidents) agricultural and forestry accident situations can be found that refer to different databases. From the database Data of the Austrian Workers Compensation Board (AUVA) about occupational accidents with different agricultural machinery over the period 2008–2010 in Austria, main characteristics of the accident, the victim, and the employer as well as variables on causes and circumstances by frequency and contexts of parameters were statistically analyzed by employing the chi-square test and odds ratio. The aim of the study was to determine the information content and quality of the European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) variables to evaluate safety gaps and risks as well as the accidental man-machine interaction.

How reliable and valid is the coding of the variables of the European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW)? A need to improve preventive public policies

Great efforts have been made in the European Union to harmonize data gathering for work accident statistics, as they are basic for the decision making of the different agents involved in occupational risk prevention. ObjectiveThis study aims to analyse the coding reliability and validity of a set of variables of work accident report forms notified to the Catalan labour authority. MethodsCross sectional double-blind study. Study population: workers who had suffered a work accident with associated sick leave between October 1st and December 31st 2010 in Catalonia. Reliability of variables related to the characteristics of the worker, their workplace and the accident was analysed with the agreement reliability coefficient (Kappa index). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated to determine its validity. ResultsThe variables selected in relation to the characteristics of the worker and his/her workplace had a good to excellent reliability; those variables related to the accident causes had low to moderate reliability. ConclusionsThere is great room for improvement in the quality of data of work accident report forms and the different governments involved should increase their efforts in this sense. These actions should be aimed to improve quality of preventive public policies and its efficiency.

Analysis of investigation reports on occupational accidents

The investigation of accidents is an occupational safety analytical tool aimed at discovering the causes of an accident. Conducting these investigations properly is essential to obtain useful information that helps avoid these accidents in the future.To prepare this study we analysed 567 investigations, conducted by OHS technical advisors, on occupational accidents occurring in Spain from 2009 to 2012 in industries such as construction, manufacturing, agriculture and services, in order to obtain information to improve the use of this technique. In this study we analysed how accident investigation reports are made identifying main flaws and omissions. Accident investigations lack details as they often do not consider the variables in the ESAW (European Statistics on Accidents at Work) Project. Likewise, they lack depth in determining the causes associated to active faults, preferably to latent faults, and to the company management and organisation systems. Similarly, they do not comply with the standards recommended by experts.Finally, in the conclusions we recommend two priorities: having a harmonised European model to conduct occupational accident investigations, as well as being able to access databases that collect accident investigation reports of this kind.

We Should Have Concerns about Risk Transfer

We Should Have Concerns about Risk Transfer

Accidents at work related to violence – Analysis of Finnish national accident statistics database

The current trends, prevalence and information retrieval possibilities for accidents at work in Finland, related to violence, are analysed using data from the national occupational accident statistics database. The analysis includes years 2003 and 2006. The data were gathered using accident description analysis. Descriptive statistics and comparisons with employee distributions were used in the data analysis. Information retrieval possibilities were analysed in terms of precision and recall. The results indicate that the number of accidents at work related to violence, especially those involving women, has increased in Finland. Increased reporting and changes in the labour market and working life are likely to explain at least part of this increase. The coverage of the Finnish occupational accident statistics database appears to have improved along with the implementation of European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) methodology. However, information about violence-related accidents at work is difficult to obtain with the current accident classification codes in use. It is recommended that more precise codes for violence-related accidents at work are included in the Finnish implementation of ESAW methodology. Reliable estimation of the violence-related accident trends will require regular repetition of similar analyses. Reliable information is necessary to determine the effectiveness of preventative actions.

A semi-quantitative assessment of occupational risks using bow-tie representation

This work proposes a semi-quantitative risk assessment methodology, which was applied and tested in the Ship Building Industry. It covers a wide range of risks related to occupational accidents in a shipbuilding yard environment, more specifically at Arsenal do Alfeite, a large shipyard in Portugal. The initial qualitative analysis focuses on the bow-tie diagram technique but it also integrates concepts and classifications schemes defined by the Eurostat within the European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) Project. The structure of the diagram enables the identification of the relevant accident’s causal pathways and their consequences at the same time as it identifies the existing or needed safety barriers. In what concerns the semi-quantitative assessment, the accident risk level and acceptance criteria were established through a scoring system, using national data on accident statistics for the sub-sector: Ship Building & Repairing (code NACE 35.1). The statistical data was supplied by GEP (the Office of Strategy & Planning of the Portuguese Ministry of Labour & Social Solidarity). The authors present and discuss a specific case study, in the shipyard’s technological area of surface treatment and protection, to demonstrate the method’s applicability and usefulness.

A survey on occupational accidents’ reporting and registration systems in the European Union

This paper presents the results of a survey on the procedures for reporting occupational accidents in the EU countries. It focuses particularly on the reporting and registration systems, as well as on the main characteristics of National Databases being used for the production of official statistics. The survey shows that many European countries have different methods and procedures for collecting and compiling data on occupational accidents, which inevitably pose problems when comparing accident statistics between the EU member states. The paper includes a brief review of the main goals and achievements of the European Project ESAW (European Statistics on Accidents at Work), which was launched in 1990 by the Eurostat (European Statistics), for the harmonisation of occupational accidents’ statistics among the member states. It is believed that the new variables being introduced by the harmonised methodology will quickly affect the way in which managers and insurance companies carry out their current procedures in several EU member states. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendations and the future trends are also analysed. In conclusion, the study identifies opportunities for further development and research in the reporting and registration systems of occupational accidents.