Home > Statistics > Occupational accident statistics > 2008 > Farmers’ risk of fatal accidents at work has fallen by nearly one-fifth in ten years

Published: 20 May 2010

Farmers’ risk of fatal accidents at work has fallen by nearly one-fifth in ten years

Farmers’ risk of fatal accidents at work has fallen by nearly one-fifth during 1999-2008. These data derive from Statistics Finland's occupational accident statistics, in which two five-year periods were compared with each other. In the 1999-2003 period, farmers had 52 fatal accidents at work, which is an average of 9.9 fatal accidents per 100,000 farmers. In the 2004-2005 period, a total of 37 farmers died in occupational accidents, which means an annual average of 8.3 fatal accidents per 100,000 farmers. 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 2008. The statistics also contain data on accidents at work that have occurred to other self-employed persons, and on wage and salary earners’ commuting accidents.

Accidents at work and fatal accidents at work of wage and salary earners and own-account workers in agriculture in 2008

	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	119 328	53 960	2 428	30
Own-accounts workers	5 246	4 453	5 220	7

In 2008, wage and salary earners had a total of 119,328 accidents at work for which insurance companies paid compensation. Disability of at least four days resulted from 53,960 of these accidents. The number of wage and salary earners’ accidents at work remained on level with the previous year. The number of minor accidents causing absences of under four days from work went up slightly, or by 2.5 per cent from 2007.

Compared with the year before, the number of occupational accidents resulting in a disability of at least four days fell slightly (-2.7%). When measured by the accident incidence rate, the risk of accidents at work also diminished from 2007 (-4.0%). In 2008, a total of 2,428 accidents at work resulting in a disability of at least four days occurred per 100,000 wage and salary earners. The corresponding ratio in 2007 was 2,530.

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 2008 the Farmers' Social Insurance Institution paid out compensation to own-account workers in agriculture for a total of 5,246 accidents at work, of which 4,453 led to an absence from work of at least four days.

The occupational accident proneness of own-account workers in agriculture measured by the accident incidence rate decreased from the year before (by 4.5%). In 2008, the number of accidents at work of own-account workers in agriculture resulting in an absence from work of at least four days was 5,220 per 100,000 insured own-account workers in agriculture. The corresponding ratio in 2007 was 5,465.

In 2008, a total of 60 persons died at the place of work or while commuting. Of these fatal accidents at work, 30 occurred to wage and salary earners, seven to own-account workers in agriculture and four to other self-employed persons. In addition, 19 fatal accidents occurred while commuting, of which 18 occurred to wage and salary earners. The number of fatal accidents at work fell clearly from the year before, as in 2007 a total of 76 persons suffered fatal accidents at work or while commuting.

Source: Occupational accident statistics 2008, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Arto Miettinen (09) 1734 2963, tyotapaturmat@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 20.5.2010