Correlates of Occupational Injuries for Various Jobs in Railway Workers: A Case‐Control Study: Nearkasen Chau, et al. National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm), Unit 420, Faculté de Medicine, France—Few studies have simultaneously addressed the role of occupational factors, individual characteristics and living conditions in occupational injuries, and to the best of our knowledge none on railway workers. This survey assessed the roles of these factors in various types of injuries and for various jobs in French railway workers. This case‐control study was conducted on 1,305 male workers with an occupational injury during a one‐year period and 1,305 male controls. A standardized questionnaire was administrated by an occupational physician. Data were analyzed by the logistic regression method. The significant factors found for all the injuries combined were: young age (<30 yr) (adjusted odds ratio 1.47, 95% CI 1.01–2.14), 5 yr or less in present job (1.43, 1.15–1.78), sleep disorders (1.30, 1.08–1.57), current smoker (1.27, 1.08–1.50), and no do‐it‐yourself or gardening activity (1.23, 1.02– 1.48). Young age, sleep disorders, and smoking were common for several types of injuries. The role of these factors differed between various job categories. Among injured workers sick leaves of eight days or over were more frequent in current smokers and overweight subjects. In conclusion, young age, lack of experience, job dissatisfaction, sleep disorders, smoking, and lack of physical activity increase the risk of occupational injuries. The risks induced were related with jobs. Preventive measures concerning work conditions and these factors could be conducted in railway workers generally, and especially in workers most at risk. The occupational physician could make workers more sensitive to these risks and help them to improve their living conditions during medical examinations.

This study identified a number of work and individual factors that predicted occupational injury frequency and may be useful in designing preventative measures. Occupational physicians could assist workers to be more aware of the risks and to find remedial measures.

This study found that environmental hazards, technical dysfunctions, lack of work organization, lack of knowledge and other human factors had important contributions in injuries, and they were related to job, age and type of injuries. These findings are useful for prevention. Training is necessary for young workers. The occupational physician could help the workers to be more aware of the risks.

Objectives Because work-related injuries are common and yet the mechanisms through which various types of injuries relate to age, length of service and job remain unknown, this study assessed the role of age, length of service and job in work-related injury. Methods Prospective study of all 164 814 permanently employed male workers at the French national railway company during 1998e2000, based on the company's injury database: 446 120 person-years, 15 195 injuries with working days lost, coded using the company's injury classification, which is derived from that of the French health insurance scheme. We investigated the incidence of 10 types of injury: fall on same level, fall to lower level, handling materials/machine parts during assembly, handling objects, lifting/handling equipment, collision with/by moving objects, collision with/by vehicles, operating machines/equipment, using hand tools and other injuries. Data were analysed using negative binomial regression. Results Workers aged <25 years were subject to a higher injury risk from handling materials/machine parts during assembly, and collision with/by moving objects or vehicles. Older workers, especially those aged 50e55 years, were subject to a higher risk of fall and injury resulting from lifting/handling materials/equipment/ objects or from collision with/by moving objects/vehicles. Using hand tools was a risky task for workers aged <30 or $40 years. The relative risk decreased steadily with increasing length of service with the company, from 2.6 for 1 year to 1.0 for $30 years, and the slope of the trend is stronger for fall to lower level, lifting/handling materials/ equipment and collision with/by moving objects. Conclusion Younger and older ages and shorter length of service are at risk for various types of injuries. Preventive measures should improve working conditions, especially for younger/older ages, provide knowledge through specific training during the first years in a job and help workers to be more aware of risks associated with their age, years of employment and job.

Younger and shorter lengths of service were at risk for various types of injuries. Higher length of service was at risk for injury due to materials/equipment/objects handling. Preventive measures should consider the respective risks associated with age, years of employment and job.