Latest findings on accidents at work
Published: 8 October 2006
On 2 May 2006, the National Statistics Office (NSO [1]) published a news release entitled ‘Accidents at work: January–March 2006’ (No.95/2006, May 2006) [2]. The bulletin gave details concerning the number of fatal and non-fatal accidents in the workplace during the first quarter of 2006. This information is the latest in a series of quarterly findings published by the NSO, which examine, among other things, the number of accidents according to the sex, age and economic activity of the victims. The total number of fatal accidents is also reported.[1] http://www.nso.gov.mt/[2] http://www.nso.gov.mt/statdoc/document_view.aspx?id=1605&backUrl=news_by_date.aspx?retainCriteria=true
In the first quarter of 2006, three persons lost their lives as a result of workplace accidents in Malta while a total of 983 persons suffered non-fatal accidents at work. These are the findings of a news release concerning accidents at work, published by the National Statistics Office in May 2006. Many of these accidents occurred in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and mainly affected employees in elementary occupations.
On 2 May 2006, the National Statistics Office (NSO) published a news release entitled ‘Accidents at work: January–March 2006’ (No.95/2006, May 2006). The bulletin gave details concerning the number of fatal and non-fatal accidents in the workplace during the first quarter of 2006. This information is the latest in a series of quarterly findings published by the NSO, which examine, among other things, the number of accidents according to the sex, age and economic activity of the victims. The total number of fatal accidents is also reported.
About the survey
The study in question profiles accidents in the workplace that were reported to the Department of Social Security (Dipartimentas Sigurtà Socjali, DSS) in the first quarter of 2006, giving an overview of the nature and scope of the accidents that occurred.
In terms of methodology, data was derived from the administrative records of the DSS. The records are a collection of the individual injury claims registered at the DSS. The department, housed within the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity (Ministeru ghall-Familja u Solidarjeta’ Socjali, MFSS), has the task of assessing the nature and validity of the claims. Once these claims are deemed legitimate, the DSS is responsible for issuing the appropriate amount of compensation.
Survey findings
Accidents at work by sex of victim
The research shows that during the first three months of 2006, a total of 983 persons had an accident during the course of their work. Out of these, 88.6% were men while 11.4% were women. In absolute terms, the number of accidents increased by a total of 59 cases or 6.4% compared with the first quarter of 2005. In particular, the number of men who had accidents at work increased significantly compared with the same period of the previous year, while the number of accidents among women remained the same (Table 1).
Table 1: Accidents at work by sex of victim
| Sex | January–March 2005 | January–March 2006 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of accidents | % | No. of accidents | % | |
| Men | 812 | 87.9 | 871 | 88.6 |
| Women | 112 | 12.1 | 112 | 11.4 |
| Total | 924 | 100 | 983 | 100 |
Source: Adapted from NSO news release, No. 95/2006, May 2006
Accidents at work by age of victims
According to the findings, the majority of work-related accidents occurred in the 25–34 years age group. This age group accounted for approximately 27.2% of the total number of work-related accidents, corresponding to 267 reported cases during the reference period. The second highest figure was recorded among the 35–44 years age group, which accounted for 22.7% or 223 reported cases of the accidents that occurred (Table 2). These findings are not surprising, given that the majority of men and women who are actively participating in the Maltese labour market fall into these age brackets.
Table 2: Accidents at work by age group
| Age group | January–March 2006 | |
|---|---|---|
| No. of accidents | % | |
| 15–24 years | 169 | 17.1 |
| 25–34 years | 267 | 27.2 |
| 35–44 years | 223 | 22.7 |
| 45–54 years | 219 | 22.3 |
| 55 years | 105 | 10.7 |
| Total | 983 | 100 |
Source: NSO, May 2006
Accidents at work by economic activity
The survey’s findings reveal that the majority of work-related accidents occurred in five main economic sectors: manufacturing, construction, wholesale and retail trade, transport, storage and communications, and health and social work. The manufacturing sector recorded the highest number of accidents with 323 accidents, accounting for 32.9% of all recorded accidents in the reference period. This was followed by the construction industry (17.6%) and the wholesale and retail trade sector (8.4%).
| Economic activity | January–March 2006 | |
|---|---|---|
| No. of accidents | % | |
| Manufacturing | 323 | 32.9 |
| Construction | 173 | 17.6 |
| Wholesale and retail trade | 83 | 8.4 |
| Transport, storage and communications | 81 | 8.2 |
| Health and social work | 73 | 7.3 |
Source: NSO, May 2006
The findings also indicate that accidents at work mainly concerned people employed either in elementary or craft-related occupations. These two occupations accounted for 44.5% and 24.1%, respectively, of all reported accidents in the period under review.
Number of reported fatal accidents
The news release reported that two men and one woman lost their lives in the course of their work between January and March 2006. These figures were obtained from the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA), an organisation that aims to ensure a healthier and safer workplace for Maltese employees. Three people died as a result of workplace accidents during the same period in 2005.
Commentary
Over the years, the number of persons suffering from accidents at work has in fact been decreasing, despite the growing size of the working population. This indicates that the implementation of safety regulations and the promotion of health and safety at the workplace by the OHSA and other organisations are yielding some positive results. However, greater efforts need to be exerted to educate certain segments of the labour force to adopt health and safety measures at the workplace, particularly those occupying lower level jobs in the manufacturing sector.
Manwel Debono and SueAnn Scott, Centre for Labour Studies
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2006), Latest findings on accidents at work, article.
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