Accidents at Work in the Finnish Food Industry between 2016–2020 - Analysis of Finnish national accident statistics database

Abstract

Current international, European, and Finnish regulations, policies and programs emphasize improving safety and health at work, and strategic goals for reducing accidents at work have been set. In general, the accident frequency rate is higher in the Finnish food industry than other manufacturing industry. Hence, there is a need to implement further actions to prevent occupational accidents and improve health and safety at work in the food industry. To guide these actions, up-to-date information on accidents at work is needed. This study descriptively analyzed the circumstances, causes, and consequences of accidents at work in the Finnish food industry between 2016 and 2020 (n = 8481). The data were retrieved from the Finnish official national occupational accident database. The results reveal that most of the injuries were minor, such as wounds and superficial injuries, resulting in 0‒3 days of incapacity for the work. The most accident-prone activities were handling objects, movement, and carrying loads by hand. Hands were the most exposed body parts. The most common causes of injury were related to movement and slipping, stumbling, and falling. Focusing on these factors to may support the food industry in preventing and reducing the number of accidents at work.