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Work-Related Fatalities Involving Children in New Zealand, 1999-2014
Rebbecca Lilley1, Bronwen McNoe1, Gabrielle Davie1
1Injury Prevention Research Unit, Otago Medical School, University of Otago, 9054 Dunedin, New Zealand.
Insights
Child work-related fatal injuries (WRFI) are a significant concern in New Zealand. Most child WRFI deaths, often preventable, occurred in vehicle crashes or from moving objects on farms and roads.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Occupational Safety
- Pediatric Injury Prevention
Background:
- Children under 15 in high-income countries face workplace hazards.
- Exposure occurs through living on worksites, visiting, or participating in work.
- Unintentional child work-related fatal injuries (WRFI) represent a preventable public health issue.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the causes and circumstances of unintentional child WRFI in New Zealand.
- To identify demographic and situational risk factors for child WRFI.
- To inform prevention strategies for child work-related injuries.
Main Methods:
- Utilized New Zealand Mortality Collection and Coronial records (1999-2014).
- Identified cases using International Classification of Disease external cause codes.
- Reviewed records for work-relatedness and abstracted socio-demographic and injury data.
Main Results:
- 206 out of 1335 unintentional child injury deaths (15%) were work-related.
- Most involved vehicle crashes or being struck by moving objects, primarily on farms and roads.
- Highest risk groups included males, preschoolers, and children of Māori or European ethnicity.
Conclusions:
- Workplace activities contribute significantly to child fatal injuries in New Zealand.
- The majority of these deaths are preventable through adult intervention and legislation.
- Focusing on rural farm and transport safety can reduce child injury mortality rates.
Abstract:
In high income countries, children under 15 years of age are exposed to workplace hazards when they visit or live on worksites or participate in formal or informal work. This study describes the causes and circumstances of unintentional child work-related fatal injuries (child WRFI) in New Zealand. Potential cases were identified from the Mortality Collection using International Classification of Disease external cause codes: these were matched to Coronial records and reviewed for work-relatedness. Data were abstracted on the socio-demographic, employment and injury-related circumstances. Of the 1335 unintentional injury deaths in children from 1999 through 2014, 206 (15%) were identified as dying from a work-related injury: 9 workers and 197 bystanders-the majority involving vehicle crashes or being stuck by moving objects in incidents occurring on farms or public roads. Those at highest risk were males, preschoolers, and those of Māori or European ethnicity. Work made a notable contribution to the burden of unintentional fatal injury in children with most deaths highly preventable, largely by adult intervention and legislation. To address the determinants of child WRFI greater attention on rural farm and transport settings would result in a significant reduction in the injury mortality rates of New Zealand children.
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