The EHLASS system. Evaluation of ten years of experience, July 1986 July 1996

The need for pooling information on injuries (e.g., incidences, settings, m anagement) prompted the European Community to set up a European injury data collection system in 1986 (the European Home and Leisure Accident Surveill ance System, EHLASS). Sixty-five hospitals (including eight in France) part icipate in the EHLASS. The data collected thus far show that incidences, ty pes of injury, and injury victim ages are similar across countries. In addi tion to providing useful information on injury settings, the EHLASS has all owed to identify a number of hazardous products and high-risk situations (p laygrounds, bicycle injuries) for which regulations were promptly developed for the entire European Community.