Abstract
Introduction: An occupational accident (OA) or work accident, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), is defined as an accident that occurs in the course of work or in connection with work that causes a fatal or non-fatal occupational injury (1). The ILO has classified OA as biological and non-biological, and they can also be classified as biological, chemical, physical, and psychological (2). According to ILO estimates, around 317 million people are victims of industrial accidents yearly, with 2.34 million dying from accidents or occupational diseases (3). This study aims to characterize OA to develop a reporting protocol for a multidisciplinary approach that impacts how institutional personnel report events.
Methodology: We used a retrospective database of occupational accidents reported at the Hospital to perform a descriptive analysis of the occupational accidents. We analyzed the database from June 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. After data verification, we determined the variables to perform the descriptive and comparative analysis, including age, sex, accident classification, position, service, and days of medical incapacity. The data was tabulated and compiled for ease of interpretation.
Results: Findings showed that the female population reported the most accidents (76.99%) compared to their male counterparts. The age range with the highest frequency of accidents was between 26 and 33 years (34.44%). Also, more accident reports in 2022 corresponded to 53.11% of reported cases. The accident classification found that non-biological accidents were more frequent at 70.33% and that the most common injury mechanism was overexertion, excessive effort, or false movement, with 28.7%. As for the days of incapacity, of the total OA, 67.46% received medical incapacity, with the entire days lost due to sick leave 359 days (approximately 12 months) in 2022 and 332 in 2023 of the periods studied.
Conclusions: This study analyzed the occupational accidents reported at the University Hospital from June 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. This analysis showed that the female population reported more accidents (79.99%), which correlates with the national data that most health personnel are women. In addition, in this specific timeframe, the pervasive non-biological accidents and the most frequent mechanism of injury are overexertion, excessive effort, or false movement. We found more days in 2022 than in 2023 regarding sick leave days. Therefore, the preceding helped identify the various causes of OA, raising the need to implement interventions to improve the aspects of the working population to reduce the occurrence of OA. In addition, we identified several workers as having had multiple registered accidents at work. Therefore, we recommend that the Hospital's occupational health and human resources office follow up on such cases and any future claims.
Methodology: We used a retrospective database of occupational accidents reported at the Hospital to perform a descriptive analysis of the occupational accidents. We analyzed the database from June 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. After data verification, we determined the variables to perform the descriptive and comparative analysis, including age, sex, accident classification, position, service, and days of medical incapacity. The data was tabulated and compiled for ease of interpretation.
Results: Findings showed that the female population reported the most accidents (76.99%) compared to their male counterparts. The age range with the highest frequency of accidents was between 26 and 33 years (34.44%). Also, more accident reports in 2022 corresponded to 53.11% of reported cases. The accident classification found that non-biological accidents were more frequent at 70.33% and that the most common injury mechanism was overexertion, excessive effort, or false movement, with 28.7%. As for the days of incapacity, of the total OA, 67.46% received medical incapacity, with the entire days lost due to sick leave 359 days (approximately 12 months) in 2022 and 332 in 2023 of the periods studied.
Conclusions: This study analyzed the occupational accidents reported at the University Hospital from June 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. This analysis showed that the female population reported more accidents (79.99%), which correlates with the national data that most health personnel are women. In addition, in this specific timeframe, the pervasive non-biological accidents and the most frequent mechanism of injury are overexertion, excessive effort, or false movement. We found more days in 2022 than in 2023 regarding sick leave days. Therefore, the preceding helped identify the various causes of OA, raising the need to implement interventions to improve the aspects of the working population to reduce the occurrence of OA. In addition, we identified several workers as having had multiple registered accidents at work. Therefore, we recommend that the Hospital's occupational health and human resources office follow up on such cases and any future claims.
| Original language | English |
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| Number of pages | 17 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 27 Sep 2023 |