Epidemiological Investigation of Occupational Accidents of Insured Salaried Employees in Region of Thrace, Greece

Background: Occupational accidents (OAs) are a subject of major interest due to their impact on workers’ health, economic productivity, and the associated social and economic costs. Despite their importance, under-reporting of OAs remains a widespread issue. Aim: This research aimed to evaluate the prevalence of occupational accidents among workers aged 18 - 64 insured by the Unified Social Security Fund (USSF), assess the provision of safety measures and education in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), and examine the association of accident-related factors with demographic and occupational characteristics in the region of Thrace, Greece, during the years 2017-2023. Material & Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted using records from the Emergency Department (ED) of the University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis and personal phone interviews. Descriptive statistics and statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (v.29) with non-parametric methods. Results: During the reference period, 489 accidents were recorded in the study population, of which 385 (78.73%) occurred either at work or while commuting to/from work. Eight of these commuting accidents were fatal. The main demographic characteristics of the affected workers were early- and late-middle-aged men, with primary education level and Greek nationality. The predominant economic sectors were “Manufacturing” and “Other activities”, typically involving small and medium-sized enterprises. Over 70% of employers did not provide adequate safety measures and OHS education, while in an additional 15%, these measures were minimal and/or inadequate. “Falls of the same level” accounted for nearly half of all accidents, and bone fractures, primarily affecting the lower and upper extremities, were the most common injury type. Over 20% of non-fatal accidents (23% of all OAs) resulted in disability or incapacity, causing a total of 22,937 lost workdays. Gender and age were significant demographic variables differentiating the two sub-samples. Differences were also observed between occupational and accident-related variables, with several noteworthy correlations between these factors. Conclusions: Occupational accidents remain a critical public health and economic issue, with prevention efforts proving inadequate, particularly among small and mediumsized enterprises. These findings underscore significant concerns regarding future trends in occupational safety.