The work-related fatal injury study: numbers, rates and trends of work-related fatal injuries in New Zealand 1985-1994

Aims. To determine the number and rates of work-related fatal injuries by e mployment status, occupation, industry, age and gender in New Zealand 1985- 1994. Methods. Potential cases of work-related injury deaths of persons aged 15-8 4 years were identified from the national electronic mortality data files. Main exclusions were deaths due to suicide and deaths due to motor vehicle crashes. The circumstances of the deaths of each fatal incident meeting inc lusion criteria were then reviewed directly from coronial files to determin e work-relatedness. Results. The rate of work-related fatal injury in New Zealand was 5.03/100 000 workers per year for the study period. There was a significant decline in crude rate over the study period. However, this was in substantial part accounted for by changes in occupation and industry mix. Older workers, mal e workers, self-employed workers, and particular occupational groups, all h ad substantially elevated rates. Agricultural and helicopter pilots, forest ry workers and fishery workers had the highest rates. Farmers, forestry wor kers, and fishery workers also had high numbers of deaths, together account ing for nearly 40% of all deaths. Conclusions. This study has demonstrated that work-related fatal injury rem ains a pressing problem for New Zealand. Several areas in urgent need of pr evention efforts were highlighted.