Survey on factors affecting occupational accidents among construction industry workers in Khorramabad, Iran

Background: In spite of science and technology developments and their application in different industries, accidents occur in many work environments. Thus, this study was conducted in order to investigate factors affecting constructional accidents. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, all workers who were injured in building construction during 2009-2010 and were registered in the Labor and Social Welfare Corporation were investigated. The data was collected through a checklist, and then, entered into SPSS software and analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. Results: Most of the accidents (about 40%) have occurred in the 24-29 year age group. Improvidence and nonuse of protective and safety instruments are the cause of 42% and 30% of accidents, respectively. The most injured parts of the body were the head (about 60%) and hands (about 45%). The least number of injured individuals was in the insulation and formatting sections (each one about 5%). Most injured persons were hired for less than 1 month (40%) and had job experience of less than 5 years (45%). Approximately 0.5% of injured persons have died and 35% of events have caused bone fracture in different parts of the body. Conclusions: The instructions related to protection, conforming to the related principles during work, and suggestion of solutions in order to prevent nonchalance, particularly for individuals with low job experience, will help to prevent accidents.