Objectives The aim of this study was to analyse the association between job stress and occupational injuries.

Methods A prospective cohort study in a sample of 10 667 workers belonging to the insured population of the Mutual Insurance Company in Spain. Job stress was assessed with the Spanish version of the Job Stress Survey. A 1-year follow-up of the workers’ clinical records was conducted to determine the incidence of occupational injuries, and the incidence rate per 1000 workers-year was calculated. The associations between the incidence of occupational injuries, job stress and job stress components (job pressure (JP) and lack of organisational support (LOS)) were assessed calculating the rate ratio (RR) and its CI of 95% using Poisson regression models.

Results After adjusting for confounders, a significant association between LOS and increased incidence of occupational injuries was found. Such an association was observed for the LOS index (RRa=3.11, 95% CI 1.53 to 6.31), LOS severity (RRa=2.64, 95% CI 1.31 to 5.33) and LOS frequency (RRa=2.67, 95% CI 1.32 to 5.38) scales in women. There was no significant association between job stress or its components and the incidence of occupational injuries among men.

Conclusions This prospective study found evidence of an association between the LOS and the incidence of occupational injuries in women, with potential implications for the prevention of accidents at work.