NSO surveys occupational accidents

The number of occupational accidents has gone down in the period between January and March 2002 in comparison with the same term in 2001, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

Between April and June 2002, the number of accidents at work remained constant to that of the same quarter last year.

The NSO was reporting on a survey of accidents at work reported to the Department of Social Security in the period between January and June 2002 for the purpose of obtaining injury benefit.

The number of accidents in the first quarter of 2002 decreased by 15 per cent when compared to those reported in the first quarter of 2001.

As usual, many accidents at work that happened in the period between January and June 2002 involved men employed in elementary occupations. According to the ISCO 88 code of occupations, elementary occupations include labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport.

In this way, 944 men (88.6 per cent) and 122 women (11.4 per cent) were the victims of occupational accidents in the first quarter of 2002.

With regards to the second quarter of 2002, 1,179 men (91.8 per cent) and 106 women (8.2 per cent) suffered occupational accidents.

Generally, accidents at work tend to affect workers across the various age groups. However, the age bracket which is more affected by accidents is that between 25 and 34 years.

Commonly, most accidents suffered by workers at their workplace involve the upper extremity of the body. Accidents which affect the upper part of the body reflect the manual nature of the occupation of these persons.

Similar to last year, most of the claimants for the injury benefit from the Department of Social Security in the period between January and June 2002 came from the southern and northern harbour districts.

With reference to fatal accidents at work, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority reported that two men died in the period between January and June 2002. Both men were employed in the construction industry.

There are around 5,000 occupational accidents every year, and an average of eight fatal accidents at work per year since 1993.