Citation

Honkanen R. J. Occup. Accid. 1982; 4(2-4): 257-262.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1982, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Accidental falls form about one-third of the external causes of injuries leading to medical consultation in Finland. Slipping is the mechanism in more than half of accidental falls on the same level. The purpose of this study was to obtain information on the seasonal variation of injuries due to slipping and to make a rough estimate on the role of slippery weather conditions in them. The cases treated at the emergency station of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Central Hospital of Helsinki in 1979 were analyzed. It was found that accidental falls on the same level due to slipping were three times more common during winter than summer. The "excess" occurrence of them during winter was estimated to form 47 % of all accidental falls on the same level due to slipping, 25 % of all accidental falls on the same level and 7 % of all visits to the emergency room. As slipping may be an initial accident mechanism also in other external cause categories of injuries, its causative role may still be higher. Thus, injuries caused by slippery weather conditions form a considerable public health problem. Due measures should be taken to promote their prevention. Accident registries can serve as indicators of the effect of weather conditions and of preventive measures on the occurrence of injuries.