11. tbl. 100. árg. 2014
Work injuries of 13-17 year old Icelanders: Causes and consequences
Introduction: The aim of the research is to investigate work injuries among 13-17-year-old teenagers in Iceland, their causes and seriousness. Firstly, the prevalence of work injuries among the age-group is examined, as is the length of their absence from work, as well as the gender and age differences of both factors. Secondly, the type and the cause of the injuries are investigated. Thirdly, the most serious injuries and their causes are studied further.
Material and methods: A survey was carried out amongst 2000 teenagers, aged 13-17, randomly selected from the Registers Iceland. The response rate was 48.4%. The teenagers were asked in a closed question about whether they had had an accident at work, and in an open one about the type and cause of the injury. A Chi-square test was used to test statistical significance: 95% confidence interval (CI).
Results: A fifth of the young people had had an accident at work, one quarter of the injured workers were absent from work because of the injury of which 5.9% for more than a week. The percentage of injured workers increases with age and has reached 30,7% among the 17-year-olds. Cuts and sprains were the most common injuries, whereas back injuries and bone fractures caused the longest absences. Sharp instruments were the most common cause of an injury, but lifting/carrying a (heavy) object as well as a fall of an object caused the longest absences.
Conclusion: The prevalence of young workers' injuries and the seriousness of some of these injuries are of concern. In addition to education on occupational health and safety (OHS) and OHS training, future research must analyse if their labour market position threaten the young people's safety, and if it is the case, how to prevent it.
Table I. Young workers who have had at least one accident at work, by age and gender, n (%)
No, never | Yes, once | Yes, more than once | Chi-square test | |
Age | p = 0.001 | |||
Aged 13 | 96 (85.7) | 10 (8.9) | 6 (5.4) | |
Aged 14 | 148 (87.1) | 14 (8.2) | 8 (4.7) | |
Aged 15 | 150 (75.4) | 31 (15.6) | 18 (9.0) | |
Aged 16 | 123 (77.8) | 18 (11.4) | 17 (10.8) | |
Aged 17 | 106 (69.3) | 21 (13.7) | 26 (17.0) | |
Gender | p = 0.021 | |||
Girls | 361 (80.8) | 55 (12.3) | 31 (6.9) | |
Boys | 262 (75.9) | 39 (11.3) | 44 (12.8) | |
Total | 623 (78.7) | 94 (11.9) | 75 (9.5) | 792 (100.0%) |
Table I illustrates that around a fifth (21.3%) of the young workers have had at least one accident at work, of which 11.9% one accident and 9.5% two or more accidents. The table shows significant age difference. In total, 14.3% of the 13-year-olds have had an accident at work, but the proportion has increased to 30.7% among those aged 17. Also, 5.4% of the youngest group and 17.0% of the older group have had more than one accident. In addition, the table shows significant gender difference: more boys (24.1%) than girls (19.2%) have been injured at work and the boys (12.8%) are more likely than the girls (6.9%) to have been injured more than once.
Table II. Absence from work because of work injury, by age and gender, n (%)
No absence | One week or less absence | More than one week absence | Chi-square test | |
Age | p = 0.114 | |||
Aged 13-15 | 56 (65.1) | 22 (25.6) | 8 (9.3) | |
Aged 16-17 | 53 (63.9) | 28 (33.7) | 2 (2.4) | |
Gender | p = 0.265 | |||
Girls | 59 (69.4) | 23 (27.1) | 3 (3.5) | |
Boys | 50 (59.5) | 27 (32.1) | 7 (8.3) | |
Total | 109 (64.9) | 50 (29.6) | 10 (5.9) | 169 (100) |
Table II illustrates that 29.6% of the young injured workers were absent from work for a week or less, but 5.9% for more than a week. More than one week's absence is interpreted here as an indication of a serious injury. The table does not reveal a significant age or gender difference with regard to if and for how long the young workers were absent from work because of a work injury.
Table III. Types of injury, by absence, n (%)
Type of injury | No absence | One week or less absence | More than one week's absence | Total |
Cuts | 31 (30.1) | 9 (20.5) | - | 40 (25.6) |
Sprains | 8 (7.8) | 11 (25.0) | - | 19 (12.2) |
Burns | 13 (12.6) | 2 (4.5) | - | 15 (9.6) |
Back injuries | 9 (8.7) | 1 (2.3) | 3 (33.0) | 13 (8.3) |
Bruises and swellings | 10 (9.7) | 2 (4.5) | - | 12 (7.7) |
Bone fractures | 1 (1.0) | 3 (6.8) | 4 (44.4) | 8 (5.1) |
Other injuries | 6 (5.8) | 4 (9.1) | 1 (11.1) | 11 (7.1) |
Unclear or no answer | 25 (24.3) | 12 (27.3) | 1 (11.1) | 38 (24.4) |
Total | 103 (100) | 44 (100) | 9 (100) | 156 (100) |
Table III shows the most common injuries the young workers suffered in numerical order. Cuts (25.6%) are the leading, sprains (12.2%) the second, and burns (9.6%) the third most common type of injury. None of these most common injuries were serious enough to lead to more than one week's absence from work. Back injuries and bone fractures were the most frequent cause of such a long absence.
Table IV. Causes of the injury, by absence, n (%)
Cause of injury | No absence | One week or less absence | More than one week's absence | Total |
Something in the way (on ground or on the move) | 13 (12.6) | 5 (11.4) | - | 18 (11.5) |
Sharp instrument | 12 (11.7) | 5 (11.4) | - | 17(10.9) |
Hot instrument or liquid | 13 (12.6) | 2 (4.5 ) | - | 15 (9.6) |
A fall of a (heavy) object | 9 (8.7) | 4 (9.1) | 1 (11.1) | 14 (9.0) |
Fell or jumped off something (i.e. a ladder, a roof). | 6 (5.8) | 4 (9.1) | - | 10 (6.4) |
Ordinary physical activity (i.e. running) | 3 (2.9) | 6 (13.6) | - | 9 (5.8) |
Lifting or carrying a (heavy) object | 4 (3.9) | - | 3 (33.3) | 7 (4.5) |
Icy/slippery surface | 4 (3.9) | 2 (4.5) | - | 6 (3.8) |
An animal | 2 (1.9) | 3 (6.8) | 1 (11.1) | 6 (3.8) |
Being pinched/crushed | 3 (2.9) | 1 (2.3) | - | 4 (2.6) |
Other cause | 13 (12.6) | 6 (13.6) | 2 (22.2) | 21 (13.5) |
Unclear or no answer | 21 (20.4) | 6 (13.6) | 2 (22.2) | 29 (18.6) |
Total | 103 (100.0) | 44 (100.0) | 9 (100.0) | 156 (100.0) |
As table IV illustrates, something in the way of the young worker, a sharp instrument, a hot instrument/liquid and the fall of a (heavy) object are most often the cause of injuries of young workers. In total, those factors accounted for 41.0% of the work injuries. On the other hand, a fall of a (heavy) object, carrying/lifting such an object, and an animal are factors that caused the young workers more than one week's absence from work.
Table V. The most and second most common causes of injury
Type of injury | Most common cause of injury | n (%) | Second most common cause of injury | n (%) |
Cuts | Sharp instrument | 18 (44) | Other cause | 6 (15) |
Sprains | Ordinary movements | 7 (37) | Fell or jumped off something | 5 (26) |
Burns | Hot instrument or liquid | 15 (100) | - | - |
Back injuries | Lifting or carrying an object | 5 (39) | Icy/slippery surface | 3 (23) |
Bruises and swellings | Something pinching/crushing | 4 (33) | Several causes | - |
Bone fractures | A fall of an (heavy) object | 2 (25) | Other cause | 2 (25) |
Other injuries | Other cause | 6 (55) | Something in the way | 3 (27) |
Unclear or no answer | Unclear or no answer | 11 (28) | Something in the way | 11 (28) |
Table V shows that the injuries which most often led to a long absence from work – back injuries and bone fractures – were most commonly caused by the young worker carrying/lifting a (heavy) object, slipping on an icy/slippery surface or by a fall of a (heavy) object.