Claims in respect of non-fatal accidents at work in the second quarter remained practically unchanged when compared to the corresponding period in 2012. Two fatal accidents at work were recorded.

Non-Fatal Accidents

Administrative records indicate that 836 persons had a non-fatal accident during the course of their work during the second quarter this year, a marginal increase of 0.5 per cent when compared to the corresponding quarter last year.

Nearly a quarter of non-fatal accidents at work occurred in manufacturing (23.5 per cent). Other economic sectors where accidents were quite common included Construction (14.4 per cent) and Accommodation and food service activities (11.7 per cent). When compared to last year, non-fatal accidents went down by 5 in manufacturing, and by 23 in construction. On the other hand, non-fatal accidents in Accommodation and food service activities rose by 18, or 22.5 per cent. The largest share of accidents involved persons in elementary occupations and those working in crafts and related trades.

In the quarter under review, one in six accidents at work concerned persons aged under 25.  Claimants working in enterprises located in the Southern Harbour District tended to report the majority of non-fatal accidents.  In addition the larger enterprises tended to have more claims for injuries at work, as illustrated in Table 8.

Wounds and super? cial injuries, and dislocations, strains and sprains were the most common types of reported injuries, amounting to 402 and 192 cases respectively. When compared to the corresponding period last year, wounds and super? cial injuries went up by 5.2 per cent, while dislocations, strains and sprains dropped by 9.4 per cent. Nearly half the injuries at work affected the upper parts of the body, such as the ? ngers and hands.

Fatal Accidents

Between April and June, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) reported two fatal accidents at work. There were another two fatalities at work in the corresponding quarter last year.