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Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an (A)BSL-4 Laboratory: 2. General Practices
Published on: October 3, 2016
Accidents in the workplace
C Harker1, A B Matheson, J A Ross
1Department of Environmental & Occupational Medicine, University of Aberdeen Medical School, UK.
The Journal of the Society of Occupational Medicine
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Workplace accidents significantly impact hospital emergency services, with manufacturing and agriculture posing high injury risks. The service sector, despite lower individual risk, contributes most to overall work-related injuries due to its large workforce.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Public Health
- Injury Epidemiology
Background:
- Accidents at work contribute significantly to the workload of hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) and Eye Casualty departments.
- Understanding injury risks across different industrial sectors is crucial for targeted prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the proportion of A&E and Eye Casualty attendances due to work-related injuries.
- To estimate the risks of injury in various industrial sectors.
- To identify high-risk industries for specific, preventable injuries.
Main Methods:
- A prospective survey of patients attending A&E and Eye Casualty departments in Aberdeen.
- Data collection on the nature of injuries and their relation to workplace activities.
- Analysis of injury data by industrial sector to estimate sector-specific risks.
Main Results:
- Work-related injuries constituted 16.5% of new A&E patients and 21.7% of Eye Casualty patients.
- Estimated annual casualty attendance rates for work-related injuries: nearly 1 in 10 for manufacturing and agriculture/forestry/fishing.
- The service sector, despite lower individual risk, accounted for the largest number of work-related injuries due to its large employment.
- High rates of specific injuries identified: 17 knife lacerations per 1000 in food/fish processing and 60 eye injuries per 1000 in mechanical engineering.
Conclusions:
- Workplace injuries represent a substantial burden on emergency healthcare services.
- Manufacturing, agriculture, and food/fish processing industries present significant injury risks requiring focused interventions.
- Preventable injuries, such as lacerations and eye injuries, are concentrated in specific high-risk sectors.
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