Occupational injuries treated at Oslo A&E - a prospective study

Occupational injuries account for a substantial proportion of treated injuries, and effective injury management requires knowledge of prevalence and risk factors. The aim of this study was to improve the evidence base on occupational injuries.

All occupational injuries registered at Oslo's accident and emergency department, the general emergency clinic and the trauma unit at Oslo University Hospital during the one-year period from 1 November 2021 to 31 October 2022 were included. Incidence rates by sex, age group and occupation, as well as for violence-related injuries and severe injuries, were calculated. The denominator was persons employed in Oslo, based on data from Statistics Norway.

A total of 6015 occupational injuries were recorded, corresponding to an annual incidence of 11.6 per 1000 employed persons. The incidence was 36 per 1000 employed persons per year among men aged 20-24 years. Short-term foreign workers (in Norway for less than six months) had more than twice the risk of others; 92 % in this group were men. The two predominantly male manual occupations, 'construction worker (buildings)' and 'farmer/aquaculture worker', had incidence rates exceeding 100 per 1000 employed persons per year. Violence-related injuries accounted for 5.6 % of cases, with the occupational categories 'security guard/armed forces' and 'learning disability nurse/care worker' being most affected. Most occupational injuries were of low severity, but the proportion of moderate to severe injuries was higher among short-term foreign workers.

Compared with previous studies, the incidence of occupational injuries among men in Oslo has declined. Under-reporting of injuries by employers is still widespread, and improving the national injury data would provide a better basis for implementing targeted preventive measures.