Minor injuries, cognitive failures and accidents at work: Incidence and associated features

Abstract

Background: There is a dearth of information examining minor injuries and cognitive failures in the workplace. Aims: This study aims to describe the incidence of, and characteristics associated with, minor injuries, cognitive failures and accidents in the workplace. Methods: The study was a community based postal questionnaire survey of people selected at random from the Electoral Registers of Cardiff and Merthyr Tydfil; 7980 questionnaires were returned. Results: Frequent/very frequent minor injuries were reported by 9.8% of the workers and frequent/very frequent cognitive failures (e.g. problems of memory, attention or action) by 10.5%. Work accidents requiring treatment were reported by 5.6% of the workers. Minor injuries, cognitive failures and accidents were associated with a number of demographic and health factors. In addition, minor injuries, cognitive failures and accidents were found to be related to each other. Conclusions: A large number of workers experience accidents and minor injuries at work. Minor injuries are not recorded by official sources but could have implications in productivity and worker health. Factors identified in this study, as associated with injuries or accidents, could be addressed by specific workplace policies or by raising individual awareness of the risks. © Society of Occupational Medicine 2005; all rights reserved.