1985

Maijala, Pekka; Nordlund, Kai

The registration of accidents was carried out from 1.3.1982 to 28.2.1983, and information was collected in 26 hospitals and health centres in the Tampere region. The population of the sample region is 6.7 % of the Finish population, which is 4.8 million inhabitants. During the study information on 20 692 accidents was registered. Of them 10 015 were classified as product accidents, that is an accident was caused directly or indirectly by a hazard involved to the use, function or characteristics of a product. A product is defined as a machine, an equipment, a material or a construction intended to be used or which generally is used by private consumers. The study model of product-related accidents was developed using the experience of corresponding systems used in other countries. Moreover, representatives of hospital staff, authorities, consumer organisations, insurance companies and industry were interviewed concerning the content and organisation of data collection. The report describes shortly the methods used in collecting and analysing accident data. The emphasis is on the analysis of product-related accidents. These have been examined on a general level and by product groups. Accident risk has been estimated at national level. The information collected on the accidents can be used also in the future, for example in the safety analysis of products and in product design. The amount of product-related accidents was 48.4 per cent of all registered accidents. On this basis we can estimate that the annual amount of product-related accidents involving medical care is about 155 000 in Finland. The accidents result in about 1.5 million sick days. Most accidents happen to persons 20 - 24 years old and especially to men, whose accident rate in this age group is almost four times that of women in the same age group. Numerically, most accidents happen with different household tools. The most serious accidents were connected with detergents, poisons, medicines and other pharmaceuticals and with gardening machines.