TY - BOOK
T1 - Product-related accidents in Finland
AU - Maijala, Pekka
AU - Nordlund, Kai
PY - 1985
Y1 - 1985
N2 - The registration of accidents was carried out from
1.3.1982 to 28.2.1983, and information was collected in
26 hospitals and health centres in the Tampere region.
The population of the sample region is 6.7 % of the
Finish population, which is 4.8 million inhabitants.
During the study information on 20 692 accidents was
registered. Of them 10 015 were classified as product
accidents, that is an accident was caused directly or
indirectly by a hazard involved to the use, function or
characteristics of a product. A product is defined as a
machine, an equipment, a material or a construction
intended to be used or which generally is used by private
consumers. The study model of product-related accidents
was developed using the experience of corresponding
systems used in other countries. Moreover,
representatives of hospital staff, authorities, consumer
organisations, insurance companies and industry were
interviewed concerning the content and organisation of
data collection. The report describes shortly the methods
used in collecting and analysing accident data. The
emphasis is on the analysis of product-related accidents.
These have been examined on a general level and by
product groups. Accident risk has been estimated at
national level. The information collected on the
accidents can be used also in the future, for example in
the safety analysis of products and in product design.
The amount of product-related accidents was 48.4 per cent
of all registered accidents. On this basis we can
estimate that the annual amount of product-related
accidents involving medical care is about 155 000 in
Finland. The accidents result in about 1.5 million sick
days. Most accidents happen to persons 20 - 24 years old
and especially to men, whose accident rate in this age
group is almost four times that of women in the same age
group. Numerically, most accidents happen with different
household tools. The most serious accidents were
connected with detergents, poisons, medicines and other
pharmaceuticals and with gardening machines.
AB - The registration of accidents was carried out from
1.3.1982 to 28.2.1983, and information was collected in
26 hospitals and health centres in the Tampere region.
The population of the sample region is 6.7 % of the
Finish population, which is 4.8 million inhabitants.
During the study information on 20 692 accidents was
registered. Of them 10 015 were classified as product
accidents, that is an accident was caused directly or
indirectly by a hazard involved to the use, function or
characteristics of a product. A product is defined as a
machine, an equipment, a material or a construction
intended to be used or which generally is used by private
consumers. The study model of product-related accidents
was developed using the experience of corresponding
systems used in other countries. Moreover,
representatives of hospital staff, authorities, consumer
organisations, insurance companies and industry were
interviewed concerning the content and organisation of
data collection. The report describes shortly the methods
used in collecting and analysing accident data. The
emphasis is on the analysis of product-related accidents.
These have been examined on a general level and by
product groups. Accident risk has been estimated at
national level. The information collected on the
accidents can be used also in the future, for example in
the safety analysis of products and in product design.
The amount of product-related accidents was 48.4 per cent
of all registered accidents. On this basis we can
estimate that the annual amount of product-related
accidents involving medical care is about 155 000 in
Finland. The accidents result in about 1.5 million sick
days. Most accidents happen to persons 20 - 24 years old
and especially to men, whose accident rate in this age
group is almost four times that of women in the same age
group. Numerically, most accidents happen with different
household tools. The most serious accidents were
connected with detergents, poisons, medicines and other
pharmaceuticals and with gardening machines.
KW - accidents
KW - accident investigations
KW - product safety
M3 - Report
SN - 951-38-2195-1
T3 - Valtion teknillinen tutkimuskeskus. Tutkimuksia - Research Reports
BT - Product-related accidents in Finland
PB - VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
CY - Espoo
ER -