Work - Related Injuries in Pathumthani, Thailand, 1993 (การบาดเจ็บจากการทำงานในจังหวัดปทุมธานี พ.ศ. 2536)

We studied epidemiological data to determine the magnitude of problem, identify risk group and factors related to injuries. The data was collected from individual registered information of all injured workers who claimed and received fund from Office of Workmenus Compensation Fund (OWCF), Social Security Office during January 1 – December 31, 1993. There were 165,042 employees registered to QWEF and 7,493 injured employees who claimed and received fund. The morbidity rate was 4.5 per 100 workers year. According to industrial type, the highest morbidity rate was construction industry (52.8 per 100 workers), followed by marble related industry (44.7 per 100) and basic metal industry (10.3 per 100). Male to female radio of all injured workers often occurred during Monday to Saturday,8.00 a.m. to 16.00 P.m.. The leading type of incidents/ exposures was being hit by moving objects (25.2%) , foreign body entering in to eye (18.5%), struck by objected (18.2%), and contacted with manpowered handtool (17.8%). Forty seven of the injuries among injured workers resulted in four principal nature of injuries and related parts : superficial injury of eyes (18%), cut or laceration of fingers (12.1%), contusion of fingers (10.4%), and back muscle strain (5.4%). Almost ninety percent of all injured workers attended hospitals. For work related fatalities, the fatal injury rate for all industries of all combined was 13.9 per 100,000 workers which was highest in the construction industry (527.2 per 100,000 workers). Male to fatality ratio was 3.6:1. The three leading causes of death wer motor vehicle related deaths (39.1%), asphyxia (17.4%), and falls from scaffolds (13.0%). The construction industry should be the first priority for solving problem. The results indicated that machine operators, laborers, metal trade workers, and handicrafts were risk groups and problems of fingers and eyes injuries need to be solved in urgent.  Further study is needed to determine prevention and measures and provide task – specific data. These data should be able to indentify risk factors associated with specific injury events so that effective interventions can be developed.