Occupational burn injuries in Finland 2011–2015

Abstract Background This study comprises all hospitalized work-related burn injuries in one country during 2011–2015. The purpose was to describe demographics, causes and risk factors of occupational burn injuries with special focus on the outcome of return to work. Material and methods This is a re...

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Main Authors: Lotta Purola, Heli Kavola, Jyrki Vuola
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2022-08-01
Series:Injury Epidemiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-022-00387-5
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author Lotta Purola
Heli Kavola
Jyrki Vuola
author_facet Lotta Purola
Heli Kavola
Jyrki Vuola
author_sort Lotta Purola
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background This study comprises all hospitalized work-related burn injuries in one country during 2011–2015. The purpose was to describe demographics, causes and risk factors of occupational burn injuries with special focus on the outcome of return to work. Material and methods This is a retrospective study on two data sources of which Finnish Workers’ Compensation Center’s (FWCC) register includes all work-related burn cases at a given time. Additional data have been obtained from those patients, who were referred to the National Burn Centre (NBC) during the same time according to the Emergency Management of Severe Burns (EMSB) criteria. We compare demographics, injury mechanisms and general burn data of these two patient groups. Results Based on FWCC register, in 2011–2015 occurred 11,623 work-related burn cases of whom 54% were men. During the study period, NBC admitted 26 patients fulfilling EMSB criteria. The most severe patients treated in NBC had injuries affecting multiple body parts. In FWCC data, hand was most injured body part. Kitchen/bakery work was the most common profession in FWCC register but in NBC material industrial and transport professions dominated. In FWCC register, patients had lower mean age (37 years vs. 43 years). Most severe injuries occurred among older patients: In NBC data, those with total body surface area 40% or over had mean age 53 years. Majority of patients returned to work. Conclusion Safety at work in Finland has improved during last decades, and the vast majority of work-related burn injuries are minor. Minor burn injuries are common in young adults working in kitchen and bakery work, whereas elderly men working in transports and industry sustain the most severe burn accidents. Retirement after work-related injury becomes very expensive for all parties, and this data can be used in preventing those cases as well as the minor accidents.
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spelling doaj.art-b073e1a477054bb6bbf85d28f44063d02022-12-22T04:31:05ZengBMCInjury Epidemiology2197-17142022-08-01911910.1186/s40621-022-00387-5Occupational burn injuries in Finland 2011–2015Lotta Purola0Heli Kavola1Jyrki Vuola2Department of Plastic Surgery, Oulu University HospitalDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki Burn Centre, Helsinki University Hospital, HUCH, University of HelsinkiDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki Burn Centre, Helsinki University Hospital, HUCH, University of HelsinkiAbstract Background This study comprises all hospitalized work-related burn injuries in one country during 2011–2015. The purpose was to describe demographics, causes and risk factors of occupational burn injuries with special focus on the outcome of return to work. Material and methods This is a retrospective study on two data sources of which Finnish Workers’ Compensation Center’s (FWCC) register includes all work-related burn cases at a given time. Additional data have been obtained from those patients, who were referred to the National Burn Centre (NBC) during the same time according to the Emergency Management of Severe Burns (EMSB) criteria. We compare demographics, injury mechanisms and general burn data of these two patient groups. Results Based on FWCC register, in 2011–2015 occurred 11,623 work-related burn cases of whom 54% were men. During the study period, NBC admitted 26 patients fulfilling EMSB criteria. The most severe patients treated in NBC had injuries affecting multiple body parts. In FWCC data, hand was most injured body part. Kitchen/bakery work was the most common profession in FWCC register but in NBC material industrial and transport professions dominated. In FWCC register, patients had lower mean age (37 years vs. 43 years). Most severe injuries occurred among older patients: In NBC data, those with total body surface area 40% or over had mean age 53 years. Majority of patients returned to work. Conclusion Safety at work in Finland has improved during last decades, and the vast majority of work-related burn injuries are minor. Minor burn injuries are common in young adults working in kitchen and bakery work, whereas elderly men working in transports and industry sustain the most severe burn accidents. Retirement after work-related injury becomes very expensive for all parties, and this data can be used in preventing those cases as well as the minor accidents.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-022-00387-5Burn injuryOccupationalWork-relatedInsuranceReturn to work
spellingShingle Lotta Purola
Heli Kavola
Jyrki Vuola
Occupational burn injuries in Finland 2011–2015
Injury Epidemiology
Burn injury
Occupational
Work-related
Insurance
Return to work
title Occupational burn injuries in Finland 2011–2015
title_full Occupational burn injuries in Finland 2011–2015
title_fullStr Occupational burn injuries in Finland 2011–2015
title_full_unstemmed Occupational burn injuries in Finland 2011–2015
title_short Occupational burn injuries in Finland 2011–2015
title_sort occupational burn injuries in finland 2011 2015
topic Burn injury
Occupational
Work-related
Insurance
Return to work
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-022-00387-5
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AT helikavola occupationalburninjuriesinfinland20112015
AT jyrkivuola occupationalburninjuriesinfinland20112015