rss
Occup Environ Med 2006;63:416-421 doi:10.1136/oem.2005.022301
  • Original article

Associations between temporary employment and occupational injury: what are the mechanisms?

  1. F G Benavides1,
  2. J Benach1,
  3. C Muntaner2,
  4. G L Delclos3,
  5. N Catot1,
  6. M Amable1
  1. 1Occupational Health Research Unit, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
  2. 2Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Canada
  3. 3Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr F G Benavides
 Occupational Health Research Unit, Pompeu Fabra University, Carrer Doctor Aiguader 80, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; fernando.benavides{at}upf.edu
  • Accepted 10 February 2005
  • Published Online First 23 February 2006

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether observed higher risks of occupational injury among temporary workers are due to exposure to hazardous working conditions and/or to lack of job experience level.

Methods: Data systematically recorded for 2000 and 2001 by the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs on fatal and non-fatal traumatic occupational injuries were examined by type of employment and type of accident, while adjusting for gender, age, occupation, and length of employment in the company. In the study period there were 1500 fatal and 1 806 532 non-fatal traumatic occupational injuries that occurred at the workplace. Incidence rates and rate ratios (RR) were estimated using Poisson regression models.

Results: Temporary workers showed a rate ratio of 2.94 for non-fatal occupational injuries (95% CI 2.40 to 3.61) and 2.54 for fatal occupational injuries (95% CI 1.88 to 3.42). When these associations were adjusted by gender, age, occupation, and especially length of employment, they loose statistic significance: 1.05 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.12) for non-fatal and 1.07 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.26) for fatal.

Conclusions: Lower job experience and knowledge of workplace hazards, measured by length of employment, is a possible mechanism to explain the consistent association between temporary workers and occupational injury. The role of working conditions associated with temporary jobs should be assessed more specifically.

Footnotes

  • Published Online First 23 February 2006

  • Competing interests: none.

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF
  4. All Versions of this Article:
    1. oem.2005.022301v1
    2. oem.2005.022301v2
    3. 63/6/416 most recent

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Social bookmarking

Register for free content


Free sample
 This recent issue is free to all users to allow everyone the opportunity to see the full scope and typical content of OEM.
View free sample issue >>

Free archive
The full back archive is now available for OEM. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006, back to volume 1 issue 1.
Register to access the free archive >>

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.