Work related injuries of self employed shopkeepers and craftsmen compared with salaried workers

Summary Aim: Few quantified data on work injuries are available on a regular basis for self-employed workers due to a lack of legislation and investigation. We designed a two months original survey in the PACA region of southern France. Our aims were first a better epidemiological knowledge of occupational accidents and second to evaluate the opportunity of sharing a common prevention program with salaried workers. Methods: The main ratio is made up of the work injury cases stemmed from regular wage replacement claims at the numerator; health insurance enrolment data provided the denominator. Circumstances were obtained by self administered questionnaires. Data from salaried population were implemented from a bibliographic research. Results: Independent workers’s incidence rate was 15/1000 person-years including 0,67/1000 assaults and battery and 2,47/1000 journey accidents. Male gender (OR 2,058 and IC95% 1,395 ; 3,038) and working in the construction sector (OR 4,849 and IC95% 2,121 ; 11,087) were significant risk factors. The lower rate than the salaried, which is 39/1000, suggests either a lower risk or under reporting or classification bias. Independent’s on duty journey accidents (1,54/1000) occurred at a higher rate than salaried (1,18/1000). Conclusion : Independents workers results show some heavy trends with higher level of violence, falls, or on duty traffic accidents. But in some lines of business, like the construction sector, where accidents are high, a common program of prevention could be justified. Prat Organ Soins. 2012;43(2):97-10