Accident information from four British industries

Abstract

Detailed accident analyses have been performed on reportable accident data from the telecommunications, electrical and construction industries. The prevalence of handling accidents, back injuries and back pain has been investigated and compared. The distributions of back injuries by age and occupational groups for the three worker populations have been calculated and the differences obtained contrasted and discussed. A questionnaire survey of a sample of the nursing profession revealed that just under half of the nurses suffered back pain in one year. Back pain prevalence by nurse status was also investigated. The use of accident data and its limitations is discussed in relation to the identification of risk factors.