Permanent occupational disabilities among Swedish metal workers in 1986

Abstract

Larsson, T.J., 1990. Permanent occupational disabilities among Swedish metal workers in 1986. Journal of Occupational Accidents, 12: 283–293.

Seven-hundred and thirty-six occupational accidents resulting in permanent disability among Swedish metal workers in 1986 have been analysed. Sixty percent of the accidents with cutting/shearing machines and saws are described as “came too close” under normal machine operation. Among harmful agencies, rolling mill, floor/ground, heavy object and sharp object have the highest average severity rates. Warehousemen and storeroom workers, welders and heavy-plate workers were the occupations with the highest average severity rates. Fractures had the longest average periods of lost time. Further studies are suggested on accident sequences described as “normal operation”, on the use and fit of protective gloves when working at drills, reamers, tappers and millers, on extremely severe injuries and fatalities and their association with machine breakdowns and technical faults and, lastly, on manual handling with special attention paid to warehousemen and storeroom workers.