Swedish women prone to workplace injuries: study
The number of Swedish women who fall victim to work-related injuries is growing, according to a new study from Swedish insurance company AFA.
“We see a long term decrease of the more serious work related injuries among men but for the women we don’t see a corresponding development. Rather, the numbers seem to indicate the opposite,” said Michel Normark, manager of analysis and insurance policies at AFA insurance, in a statement
Accidental falls are the most common work related injuries for both sexes. And the study shows that it happens mostly to cleaners, assistant nurses, hospital orderlies, lorry drivers and in the construction industry.
Normark thinks that the increasing number of work related injuries among women could be due to the higher number of women employed in the healthcare sector, where it is harder to protect oneself against injury.
“It might be easier to prevent work related injuries in manufacturing. There, the dangers are more obvious," he said to news agency TT.
However, despite the fact that it is easier to develop technology and improve work methods to avoid injuries in an industrial environment, industry is still where the most work related accidents occur.
But despite the disappointing figures for women, the total number of work related injuries have dropped in Sweden over the last few years.
“The main reason is the technology development and that less are employed in high risk professions,” said Normark.
Despite the drop in reported cases he doesn’t think that authorities should get complacent.
“Seeing as the long term trend indicates a decrease we want the number for the women to drop as well,” he said to TT.
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“We see a long term decrease of the more serious work related injuries among men but for the women we don’t see a corresponding development. Rather, the numbers seem to indicate the opposite,” said Michel Normark, manager of analysis and insurance policies at AFA insurance, in a statement
Accidental falls are the most common work related injuries for both sexes. And the study shows that it happens mostly to cleaners, assistant nurses, hospital orderlies, lorry drivers and in the construction industry.
Normark thinks that the increasing number of work related injuries among women could be due to the higher number of women employed in the healthcare sector, where it is harder to protect oneself against injury.
“It might be easier to prevent work related injuries in manufacturing. There, the dangers are more obvious," he said to news agency TT.
However, despite the fact that it is easier to develop technology and improve work methods to avoid injuries in an industrial environment, industry is still where the most work related accidents occur.
But despite the disappointing figures for women, the total number of work related injuries have dropped in Sweden over the last few years.
“The main reason is the technology development and that less are employed in high risk professions,” said Normark.
Despite the drop in reported cases he doesn’t think that authorities should get complacent.
“Seeing as the long term trend indicates a decrease we want the number for the women to drop as well,” he said to TT.
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