Risk of accidents at work still highest among young men

Men's risk of accidents at work is the highest among the youngest age group (aged 15 to 24). In 2006 young men had 4,391 accidents at work resulting in at least four days’ absence from work per 100,000 wage and salary earners. This means that for the second year running young men’s risk measured with the accident incidence rate was over 14 per cent higher than the average for wage and salary earner men. The most recent occupational accident statistics contain data on the accidents at work of wage and salary earners and own-account workers in agriculture in 2006. The statistics also contain data on accidents at work that have occurred to other self-employed persons and wage and salary earners’ commuting accidents.

In 2006 wage and salary earners had a total of 115,936 accidents at work for which insurance companies paid compensation. Disability of at least four days resulted from 55,253 of these accidents. The number of wage and salary earners’ accidents at work increased somewhat from the year before. The increase in the number of accidents concentrated mostly on minor accidents at work resulting in a disability of less than four days, whose number increased by 6.9 per cent from 2005.

The number of accidents at work resulting in a disability of at least four days remained nearly on level with the previous year (+1.7 per cent). Similarly, the risk of accidents at work measured with the accident incidence rate increased only slightly (by 0.04 per cent) from 2005. In 2006 a total of 2,582 accidents at work resulting in a disability of at least four days occurred per 100,000 wage and salary earners. The corresponding ratio in 2005 was 2,581.

Similarly to earlier years, the work of own-account workers in agriculture continues to be more risk prone than the average work of wage and salary earners. The accident incidence rate of own-account workers in agriculture is more than twice that of wage and salary earners. In 2006 the Farmers' Social Insurance Institution paid out compensation to own-account workers in agriculture for a total of 5,966 accidents at work, of which 5,019 led to an absence of work of at least four days. Unlike for wage and salary earners, the number of accidents at work of own-account workers in agriculture fell clearly from the year before (by 11.1 per cent).

The accident proneness of own-account workers in agriculture measured with the accident incidence rate fell from the year before (by 5.6 per cent). In 2006 the number of accidents at work of own-account workers in agriculture resulting in an absence from work of at least four days was 5,627 per 100,000 insured own-account workers in agriculture. The corresponding ratio in 2005 was 5,962.

In 2006 a total of 71 persons died at their place or work or while commuting. Of these fatal accidents at work, 47 occurred to wage and salary earners, 5 to own-account workers in agriculture and 2 to other self-employed persons. In addition, 17 fatal accidents occurred while commuting, of which 16 occurred to wage and salary earners. The number of fatal accidents at work fell clearly from the year before, as in 2005 a total of 99 persons suffered fatal accidents at work or while commuting.

Accidents at work and fatal accidents at work of wage and salary earners and own-account workers in agriculture in 2006

	Accidents at work	Resulting in disability of at least 4 days	Accidents at work resulting in disability of at least four days/100,000 persons	Fatal accidents at work
Wage and salary earners	115 936	55 253	2 582	47
Own-accounts workers	5 966	5 019	5 627	5

Source: Occupational accident statistics 2006, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Arto Miettinen 09–1734 2963

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 10.6.2008

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Occupational accident statistics [e-publication].
ISSN=1797-9544. 2006. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 24.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ttap/2006/ttap_2006_2008-06-10_tie_001_en.html