Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin. Europäische Kommission. Community Action Programme on Injury Prevention.

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1 Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Europäische Kommission Community Action Programme on Injury Prevention Annual Report IPP -Germany 2000/2001- Das Vorhaben wurde von der Europäischen Kommission gefördert Projektleitung: Dipl.-Stat. Annelie Henter, BAuA, Gruppe 1.2

2 Dortmund, Juli

3 Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Europäische Kommission Community Action Programme on Injury Prevention Annual Report IPP -Germany Das Vorhaben wurde von der Europäischen Kommission gefördert Projektleitung: Dipl.-Stat. Annelie Henter, BAuA, Gruppe 1.2

4 Dortmund, Juli

5 Home and Leisure Accidents Representative Survey in Germany in 2000 A study by NFO Infratest Wirtschaftsforschung Your contact: Manfred Kreileder Tel.: 089/ Maren Holeczek Tel.: 089/ Munich, July 2002 HOL/

6 Summary of the Main Results With 2.73 million home accidents and 2.63 million leisure accidents, home and leisure accidents are seen on the whole far more frequent than occupational/school or traffic accidents. However it should be taken into account, that the whole population can be affected by home and leisure accidents, whereas school accidents for instance can only happen to school-children, which represent a much smaller universe. Men are slightly more imperilled of home and leisure accidents than women. Therefore, the mens incidence is, also in consequence of the slightly minor proportion of the total population, higher. In comparison to the demographic population structure in Germany the accident rate is especially in the middle age groups, e.g. with the years old and with the years old, above average. Place of accidents is primarily in and outside the house (53 %), sports area (21 %) and transport area (13%). In home women are more often affected by accidents than men (41 % versus 27 %). On the other hand men have more accidents in sport areas (28% versus 13 %). These differences are presumably related to gender roles, that influence activities undertaken by males and females. Most accidents occur during locomotion, transportation or handling things on the spot (44 %). Sport accidents represent also a high proportion of the total accidents (27 %). Men are far more often victims of sport accidents than women (35 % versus 19 %). Women are more frequently injured during locomotion, transportation or movement on the spot (54 % versus 36 %). Football accidents represent almost half (43 %) of all sport accidents happening to men, women are more frequently injured while riding (17 %) or exercising winter sports (14 %). Falls are the predominant accident mechanism and account for 45 % of all interviews. Falls on the same level occur slightly more often than falls from height. 24 % of the home and leisure accidents are due to being struck or hit by an object, another person or animal. Women fall more frequently on the same level than men (29 % versus 19 %), whereas men collide more often with an object, another person or animal (27 % versus 21 %). Three quarters of the accidents caused injured extremities (upper extremities: 33 %, lower extremities: 43 %). In 10 % the

7 head or face of the victim was injured. The lower back and pelvis were affected in 7 % of the injuries. The most frequent types of injury were fractures (20 %), open wounds (18 %), contusions/bruises (15 %) and distortions/sprains (12 %) as well as lesions of tendons/muscles (11 %). 9 % of all accident victims were affected for at least 14 days by the accident, but did not seek medical help. Almost the half (47 %) were only treated by a general practitioner, 12 % actually stayed in hospital, 18 % are treated as an outpatient, 14 % are sent home after the initial treatment The median length of stay in hospital is 11 days (average). The separate examination of both groups no medical treatment and practitioner versus Treatment in hospital by the categories age group, status, place of accident, activity exercised at the moment of accident, accident mechanism and the test for significant differences leads to the conclusion that an inquiry only in hospitals distorts the results in Germany not only in a quantitative but also in a qualitative way. For example children (younger than 14 years) as well as persons older than 65 years are more frequently brought to hospital than to a practitioner. The years-old, however, go more often to a practitioner than to a hospital for the initial treatment. Further significant differences appear with the breakdown by place of accident. Accidents in the transport area are more frequently treated in a hospital, whereas accidents in the sports area are more frequently treated by a practitioner. A result which differs a lot appears with the gravity of the accidents. The more serious an accident is, the more frequently the initial treatment takes place in hospital. When having a light accident and being only affected up to three days, however, a visit to the practitioner is more likely. Determining for the happening of an accident are the accident causes, e.g. the external general conditions, which led to the accident. Only information about accident causes offers the chance to develop appropriate measures for the prevention of accidents. An accident can be rarely put down to one single cause. The most frequently indicated accident cause is incorrect action by the accident victim (48.7 %) like for example haste, excessive speed and/ or physical, mental factors (40.7 %) or lack of concentration or carelessness.

8 This report was produced by a contractor for Health & Consumer Protection Directorate General and represents the views of the contractor or author. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the Commission and do not necessarily represent the view of the Commission or the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection. The European Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study, nor does it accept responsibility for any use made thereof.