Occupational injuries and diseases in fish farming in Finland 1996–2015
Abstract
Background: The agriculture, forestry and fishing industry sector has high rates of occupational injuries. Fishing has globally particularly high occupational fatality rates, but injuries and illnesses to people working in its sub-sectors, aquaculture and fish farming, are not well understood.
Materials and methods: This study characterised injuries and occupational diseases to fish farmers and people employed on fish farms in Finland using national employment and accident insurance (workers’ compensation) data.
Results: A total of 392 injuries and 18 occupational diseases were compensated during 1996 to 2015 to fish farmers and people employed on fish farms in Finland. The average injury rate was 3.2 injuries per 100 employed persons with no significant trend over time. Two of the injuries were fatal. Injured persons were primarily male (87.2%), in 45–54 year age group (39.1%), and working in coastal areas (49%). Com- mon injury characteristics included: incident type: slips, trips, and falls (37%); location: building, structure or ground level surface (28%); injured body part: hand or finger (25%); type of injury: dislocation, sprain, strain (35%); and lost worktime: 1 to 2 weeks (26.9%). Seven out of 18 occupational diseases occurred to women, most resulting in cumulative trauma from fish processing.
Conclusions: The injury rate in fish farming corresponds to rate in all industries combined in Finland, and is higher than the rate in available Nordic statistics on fish farming. Fish farming injuries could be reduced further by slip resistant surfaces, protection of hands and fingers and ergonomics in processing.
Keywords: aquacultureoccupational injuriesoccupational diseases
References
- Official Statistics Finland: Aquaculture. Natural Resources Institute Finland, Helsinki. Available from. https://stat.luke.fi/en/aquaculture-2017 (cited February 13, 2019).
- Aquaculture Strategy 2022. Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Helsinki. Available from. https://mmm.fi/en/fisheries/strategies-and-programmes/aquaculture-strategy (cited February 13, 2019).
- Standard Industrial Classification 2002. Statistics Finland, Helsinki. Available from. https://www.stat.fi/meta/luokitukset/toimiala/001-2002/index_en.html (cited February 13, 2019).
- Standard Industrial Classification 2008. Statistics Finland, Helsinki. Available from https://www.stat.fi/meta/luokitukset/toimiala/001-2008/index_en.html (cited February 13, 2019).
- Official Statistics Finland: Employment. Statistics Finland, Helsinki. Available from . http://www.stat.fi/til/tyokay/index_en.html (cited February 13, 2019).
- SAS Enterprise Guide v. 7.13 software. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. 2016.
- TOT 13/07 2007. Kalanviljelijä hukkui pudottuaan jäihin [Fish farmer drowned upon falling through sea ice, in Finnish]. Finnish Workers' Compensation Center (TVK), Helsinki. Investigations of accidents at work 2007:13. Available from. http://totti.tvk.fi/totcasepublic.view?action=caseReport&unid=764 (cited February 13, 2019.).
- Overall change in the incidence of non-fatal accidents at work, by NACE division, EU-28, 2010-2015. Eurostat: Accident at work statistics. Available from . https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Accidents_at_work_statistics (cited February 13, 2019).
- Myers ML. Review of occupational hazards associated with aquaculture. J Agromedicine. 2010; 15(4): 412–426.
- Kaustell KO, Mattila TEA, Rautiainen RH. Occupational injuries and diseases among commercial fishers in Finland 1996-2015. Int Marit Health. 2016; 67(3): 163–170.
- Karttunen JP, Rautiainen RH. Occupational injury and disease incidence and risk factors in Finnish agriculture based on 5-year insurance records. J Agromedicine. 2013; 18(1): 50–64.
- Official Statistics Finland: Wage and salary earners’ accidents at work. Statistics Finland, Helsinki. Available from . https://www.stat.fi/til/ttap/2013/ttap_2013_2015-11-27_kat_001_en.html (cited February 13, 2019.).
- Official Statistics of Finland: Occupational accident statistics. Statistics Finland, Helsinki. Available from. from http://www.stat.fi/til/ttap/index_en.html (cited February 13, 2019.).
- Holen S, Utne I, Holmen I, et al. Occupational safety in aquaculture – Part 1: Injuries in Norway. Marine Policy. 2018; 96: 184–192.
- Martin A. 2016. Risk Factors Associated with Severe Injuries in Inland Aquaculture Farms. Theses and Dissertations. University of Kentucky, College of Public Health. Paper 109. Available from . https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cph_etds/109/ (cited February 13, 2019.).
- Kaustell KO, Mattila TEA, Hurme T, et al. Predictors for occupational injuries and diseases among commercial fishers in Finland 1996-2015. Int Marit Health. 2017; 68(4): 196–202.
- Sipilä P, Martikainen P. Language-group mortality differentials in Finland in 1988-2004: assessment of the contribution of cause of death, sex and age. Eur J Public Health. 2009; 19(5): 492–498.
- Regional morbidity differences must be considered in organizing services. National Institute for health and welfare 2016, Helsinki. Available from . https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/-/regional-morbidity-differences-must-be-considered-in-organising-services (cited February 13, 2019).
- Jadhav R, Achutan C, Haynatzki G, et al. Risk Factors for Agricultural Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Agromedicine. 2015; 20(4): 434–449.
- Jadhav R, Achutan C, Haynatzki G, et al. Review and Meta-analysis of Emerging Risk Factors for Agricultural Injury. J Agromedicine. 2016; 21(3): 284–297.
- Shannon HS, Lowe GS. How many injured workers do not file claims for workers' compensation benefits? Am J Ind Med. 2002; 42(6): 467–473.
- Koehoorn M, Tamburic L, Xu F, et al. Characteristics of work-related fatal and hospitalised injuries not captured in workers' compensation data. Occup Environ Med. 2015; 72(6): 413–420.
- Leibler JH, Perry MJ. Self-reported occupational injuries among industrial beef slaughterhouse workers in the Midwestern United States. J Occup Environ Hyg. 2017; 14(1): 23–30.
- Fan ZJ, Bonauto DK, Foley MP, et al. Underreporting of work-related injury or illness to workers' compensation: individual and industry factors. J Occup Environ Med. 2006; 48(9): 914–922.
- Eskelinen S, Notkola V, Tupi K. Miten kattavasti viljelijät ilmoittavat työtapaturmistaan? How consistently do farmers report their injuries?]. Farmers Social Insurance Institution, Espoo. Publication 2/89. 1989(ISBN 951-9402-56-X): Finnish–54.
