At 1,182, the non-fatal accidents at work increased by 7.4 per cent when compared to the same quarter in the preceding year. There were no fatal accidents at work during the period under review.

Non-Fatal Accidents - This report covers accidents at work that were reported to the Department of Social Security (DSS) as from April to June 2008. The administrative records for the injury benefit of the DSS indicate that 1,182 persons had an accident in the course of their work in the period under review. Accordingly, the number of accidents in the second quarter of this year increased by 81 (7.4 per cent) over the same period in the preceding year.

Many of these accidents at work occurred in the economic sectors of manufacturing (32.9 per cent); construction (15.4 per cent); and transport, storage, and communications (11.7 per cent).

The occupational categories that are mostly affected by accidents are the elementary and trades occupations. In this way, the given statistics indicate that 628 cases (53.1 per cent) concerned people in elementary occupations, while 206 cases (17.4 per cent) affected people in craft / trades work.

In the period under review, 44.5 per cent of the accidents at work occurred to persons who were under 35 years of age. As a result, the data on hand indicate that 526 of these accidents occurred to this age cohort. People at work are mostly affected by injuries in the upper extremities of their body. Accordingly, 43.6 per cent of accidents at work concerned the upper extremities of the body, including hands and fingers. Wounds and superficial injuries are the most common types of injuries. Actually, wounds and superficial injuries featured in 466 (39.4 per cent) of these mishaps.

Fatal Accidents - The Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) reported that in April to June 2008 there were no fatalities at work. During the same period in the preceding year, there were three fatalities at work.