Occupational accidents and injuries in Thailand

Int J Occup Environ Health. 2007 Jul-Sep;13(3):290-4. doi: 10.1179/oeh.2007.13.3.290.

Abstract

The Workers' Compensation Fund (WCF) represents only a limited fraction of work-related injuries in the Thai workforce. This cross-sectional study examined 258,986 records from the Thai National Injury Surveillance (NIS) system collected during 2001-2004, focusing on 17,538 injuries coded as work-related. NIS records provided information generally not represented in WCF statistics, such as construction and agriculture. The reported mechanisms in 129 work-related fatalities were particularly informative, including electrical current (27%), transport accidents (20%), and falls (15%). Mortality in transport accidents was dramatically higher when seat belts or motorcycle helmets were not used, whether work-related or not. The findings emphasize the need to use multiple sources of information for a complete picture of work-related injuries in Thailand, and possibly in other countries. The mechanisms of fatal injury indicate areas where focused efforts are warranted.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Occupational / mortality
  • Accidents, Occupational / statistics & numerical data*
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Population Surveillance*
  • Thailand / epidemiology
  • Wounds and Injuries / epidemiology*