Objectives: to evaluate the difference in the frequency of occupational injuries between permanent and temporary workers, and between Italian and immigrant workers.
Design: we compared the incidence rate of occupational injury between permanent and temporary workers and between Italian and immigrant workers.
Setting: 160 factories and 4 employment agencies operating in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.
Participants: all permanent workers of the above-named factories and temporary workers of the above-named employment agencies.
Main outcome measures: incidence rate ratio of occupational injury in relation to type of workers (permanent and temporary) and their nationality (Italian and immigrant).
Results: there were 1,499 occupational injuries among 18,210 permanent workers and 392 among 1,345 temporary workers. The incidence rate ratio of occupational injury was significantly higher in temporary workers than in permanent workers (IR 2.46; 95% CI 2.02-2.99). Nationality appears to be an important risk factor especially among permanent workers (IR 1.63; 95% CI 1.34-1.98). Temporary work--regardless nationality--seems to be a major risk for occupational injury.