Abstract

This project developed sector- and occupation- specific statistical profiles of occupational injuries, on the basis of data from the 1981 Canadian census and CSST (Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec, Québec Occupational Health and Safety Commission) accident files.

The first two phases of the analysis examined the distribution of safety hazards in all occupational groups, and in the 10 priority industrial sectors defined by the CSST, respectively. The variables selected for inter-occupation and inter-sector comparisons were injury incidence rate, average length of compensation for each type of injury, average work absence per worker, and daily absence rate. In 1981, the ten priority sectors employed 14% of the workforce, but accounted for one-third of all workers receiving compensation. The accident risk for manual labourers was much higher than for other occupations. The third phase of the analysis focused on the distribution of safety hazards as a function of economic activity, with particular emphasis on workers engaged in manual labour. This analysis clearly demonstrated an elevated prevalence and severity of injury in sectors characterized by constantly fluctuating work environments (forestry, mining, construction). In addition, secondary industry, employing only 22% of the workforce, nevertheless accounts for 43% of all accidents studied.

This analysis demonstrates a high concentration of occupational injury in a relatively limited population of workers, and contributes to the development of research priorities in the field of accident prevention.