Fatal Occupational Accidents Research Articles

Human errors in fatal and serious occupational accidents in Finland.

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of human error on industrial accidents. One hundred and seventy-eight fatalities and 99 serious accidents were classified according to Rasmussen's SRK model. Of accidents, 84-94% were due mainly to human error. Most of the errors were skill-based, next came rule-based errors and then knowledge-based errors. The type of error was analyzed by age, work experience and work tasks of the victims. The results showed that the SRK model is suitable for analyzing accidents in industrial work using rather simple technology.

The interest of a forensic approach of fatal occupational accidents

The interest of a forensic approach of fatal occupational accidents

Fatal occupational accidents in Ontario, 1986–1989

We examined 470 fatal occupational accidents in Ontario, 1986-1989, that met eligibility criteria. Homicides and most accidents on public roads were excluded. Information was obtained from coroners' files and records of the provincial Ministry of Labour. Levels of alcohol likely to produce impairment were found in six subjects (2% of the two-thirds of fatalities tested). Cannabis was detected in 3.9% of cases (17% of those tested), but other illegal drugs were not found. Recommendations of coroner's juries showed that organizational factors were considered relevant on many occasions, although language and literacy were rarely mentioned. The incidence rate rose steadily with age. Other data items were examined, although, because of missing information and/or lack of denominator data for many of them, the conclusions that can be drawn are limited. Among these tentative findings was that more fatal accidents occurred in the first half of the shift than in the second half.

Fatal and non-fatal occupational accidents: identical versus differential causation

Salminen S., Saari J., Saarela K.L. and Räsänen T., 1992. Fatal and non-fatal occupational accidents: identical versus differential causation, Safety Science 15, 109–118. In his well-known iceberg model, Heinrich claimed that identical causes preceded minor and major injuries. Against the previous hypotheses Petersen has claimed that different circumstances produced minor and major injuries. These competing hypotheses were examined by comparing fatal occupational accidents with non-fatal accidents. The data consist of 99 serious occupational accidents in which 20 had fatal consequences. A work place analysis and an accident analysis were done at the accident site. Fatal accidents differed both in the type of accident and the distribution of accident factors from non-fatal accidents. The results supported Petersen's different causation hypothesis more than Heinrich's identical causation hypothesis.

Fatal occupational injuries in California, 1972-1983.

Prior reports have indicated that the crude incidence of fatal occupational accidents in California has substantially declined since at least 1972. We tested the hypothesis that this observation was an artifact of demographic shifts in the workforce towards lower-risk age groups and industries. Review of worker's compensation data from 1972 to 1983 identified 2,483 fatal injuries among males. Crude rates declined by an average of 7.0% annually (p less than .005). Age and industry adjustment reduced this decline to 6.7% annually, but the trend was still significant (p less than .005). Thus, the decline in fatal injury rates is not artifactual and will require further study to explain. In a separate analysis, age-specific death rates were found to follow a bimodal pattern in most industries with the highest rates observed at the extremes of age. These results conflict with those of several previous studies. However, these studies did not adjust for the prevalence of part-time work schedules among younger employees.

Fatal Occupational Accidents—The Five-Year Metro Dade County Experience, 1979–1983

A study of fatal occupational accidents in Metropolitan Dade County between the years 1979 and 1983 was performed from the case files of the office of the medical examiner. A total of 147 cases were collected and were subdivided into 25 traffic-related and 122 nontraffic-related cases. Cases were then analyzed as to age, race, sex, cause of death, alcohol, toxicology, scene circumstances, and who was at fault in the accidental fatality. Traffic-related fatalities, comprising 17% of the cases, were young white males, commonly less than 45 years of age, who died of multiple injuries in the majority of instances while working as drivers on tractor trailers, migrant farms, or fruit produce trucks. The most common seenario was a vehicle-vehicle collision in which seat belts were not used and the decedent or the decedent's driver was at fault. Nontraffic-related fatalities, comprising 83% of the cases, were likewise white males, commonly less than 45 years of age, who died of multiple injuries in the majority of instances as construction workers or as loading/forklift operators. The most common seenario was one in which alcohol or drugs were not involved. While the "fault" was unassignable in the majority of cases, in those in which it could be, the deceased was at fault approximately half the time with the company or others at fault the other half.

Fatal occupational accidents in Sweden: Personal safety equipment and rescuing

With the help of official documents 198 fatal occupational accidents that occurred in Sweden in 1973 have been analyzed. The aims of the study were to find out: (1) The optimal effect of increased use of personal safety-equipment and (2) How many lives may be saved by better rescue-preparedness and optimal medical care? The results are that in one third of the cases personal safety equipment offers significant protection against a fatal outcome. Proper action after a severe accident has taken place could reduce fatalities by about one sixth.