Evaluation of Occupational Accidents in a Tertiary Emergency Department Introduction

Abstract

Aim:Our study aimed to determine the characteristics of occupational accident cases admitted to an emergency department and evaluate these accidents in terms of emergency service cost.Materials and Methods:This descriptive study evaluated the age and gender of the patients, admission time, reason for admission and the sector in which the patient works. Trauma to the body area and the patients’ cost covered by Social Security Institution were also evaluated according to the hazard classification for business organisations.Results:The study included a total of 410 patients admitted to the emergency department due to occupational accidents. Of these, 95.9% were male, of which 30.0% were working in construction sectors. The maximum number of admissions was between 800 and 1200 hours at a frequency of 34.6%. Furthermore, the costs of occupational accidents that the workers were exposed to in very dangerous sectors were the highest (p=0.012).Conclusion:Occupational accidents result in the highest number of deaths after traffic and home accidents. They have a significantly negative impact on both the workers’ health and national economy. In particular, in work places classified as dangerous and very dangerous, the employees are at a risk of accidents that may cause permanent injury and/or death.

Keywords

• occupational accidents
• emergency department
• costs