At 979, non-fatal accidents at work between October and December decreased by 4.5 per cent when compared to the same quarter in the preceding year. There were three fatal accidents at work during the period under review, the National Statistics Office reported yesterday.

Non-fatal accidents

This news release looks into the accidents at work that were reported to the Department of Social Security (DSS) as from October to December 2007. The administrative records for the injury benefit of the DSS indicate that 979 persons had an accident in the course of their work in the period under review. Accordingly, the number of accidents in the fourth quarter of this year decreased by 46 (-4.5 per cent) over the same period in the preceding year.

Many work-related accidents occurred in the economic sectors of manufacturing (33.5 per cent), construction (14.0 per cent), transport, storage, and communication (12.0 per cent), and wholesale and retail trade (10.2 per cent).

Accidents at work mostly concern people employed in elementary occupations and craft/trades work. The given statistics indicate that 489 cases (50.0 per cent) concerned people in elementary occupations, while 200 cases (20.4 per cent) affected people in craft/trades work.

In the period under review, 43.2 per cent of accidents at work occurred to persons who were under 35 years of age. The data indicate that 423 of these accidents occurred to persons in this age cohort.

The data also indicate that most work-related injuries occur in the upper extremities of the body. Wounds and superficial injuries are the most common types of injuries. Actually, wounds and superficial injuries featured in 408 (41.7 per cent) of these mishaps.

Fatal accidents

The Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) reported that in October to December 2007, three men died at work. During the same period in the preceding year, one man died at work.