The topic of work safety is a very relevant and multifaceted problem for workers, firms and policy makers. Differing from other narrow-scope studies, this article aims to enrich the understanding of workplace safety as a whole by applying econometric techniques on data from the Italian Labour Force Survey. Findings show poor working conditions are the most significant determinants of accidents and illnesses occurring at work, while having a fixed-term (temporary) contract is not significant. Other significant determinants of work safety are: not being new to the workforce; dissatisfaction with the current job; gender; and a latent proneness observed with occurrence of accident on the way to work. This article also highlights that work related accidents and illnesses are two deeply correlated phenomena and that there is a structural break after three years on the job.
Amuedo-DorantesC (2002) Work safety in the context of temporary employment: the Spanish experience. Industrial and Labor Relations Review55(2): 262–85.
2.
BenavidesFGBenachJMuntanerCDelclosGLCatotNAmableM (2006) Associations between temporary employment and occupational injury: what are the mechanisms?Occupational Environmental Medicine63(6): 416–21.
3.
BertonFRichiardiMSacchiS (2012) The Political Economy of Work Security and Flexibility: Italy in Comparative Perspective. Bristol: The Policy Press.
4.
BlankVLGAnderssonRLindonANilssonBC (1995) Hidden accident rates and patterns in the Swedish mining industry due to involvement of contractor workers. Safety Science21(1): 23–35.
5.
BlankVLGLaflammeLAnderssonR (1997) The impact of advances in production technology on industrial injuries: a review of the literature. Safety Science26(3): 219–34.
6.
DupontWD (2009) Statistical Modelling for Biomedical Researchers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
7.
DupréD (2001) Accidents at Work in the EU – 1998-1999. Statistics in Focus: Population and Social Conditions. Eurostat Theme 3 – 16/2001. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
8.
European Commission (2002) Adapting to Change in Work and Society: A New Community Strategy on Health and Safety at Work 2002–2006. DG Employment. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
9.
European Commission (2007) Improving Quality at Work: Community Strategy 2007–2012 on Health and Safety at Work. Improving the Quality and Productivity at Work. DG Employment. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
10.
European Union (2010) Health and Safety at Work in Europe (1999–2007). A Statistical Portrait. Eurostat. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
11.
FabianoBCurròFPastorinoR (2004) A study of the relationship between occupational injuries and firm size and type in the Italian industry. Safety Science42(7): 587–600.
12.
FabianoBCurròFReverberiAPPastorinoR (2008) A statistical study on temporary work and occupation accidents: specific risk factors and risk management strategies. Safety Science46(3): 535–44.
13.
García-SerranoCHernanzVTohariaL (2010) Mind the gap, please! The effect of temporary help agencies on the consequences of work accidents. Journal of Labor Research31(2): 162–82.
14.
GreeneWH (2007) Econometric Analysis. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
15.
GuadalupeM (2003) The hidden costs of fixed term contracts: the impact on work accidents. Labour Economics10(2003): 339–57.
16.
GundersonMHyattD (2000) Workforce and workplace change: implications for injuries and compensation. In: SullivanT (ed.) Injury and the New World of Work. Vancouver: UBC Press, 46–68.
17.
HamermeshD (1999) Changing inequality in markets for workplace amenities. Quarterly Journal of Economics114(4): 1085–1123.
18.
HarveyAC (1976) Estimating regression models with multiplicative heteroskedasticity. Econometrica44(3): 461–5.
19.
HernanzVTohariaL (2006) Do temporary contracts increase work accidents? A microeconometric comparison between Italy and Spain. Labour20(3): 475–504.
20.
ILO (International Labour Office) (2012) Improvement of National Reporting, Data Collection and Analysis of Occupational Accidents and Diseases. Geneva: ILO.
21.
INAIL (Istituto Nazionale per l’Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro) (2010) Il punto sull’andamento infortunistico 2009. Rivista degli Infortuni e delle Malattie Professionali1(2): 317–83.
22.
Istat (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) (2008) Salute e sicurezza sul lavoro. Statistiche in breve. Rome: Istat.
23.
JonesAM (2007) Applied Econometrics for Health Economists: A Practical Guide. London: Radcliffe Publishing.
24.
KallebergAL (2012) Job quality and precarious work: clarifications, controversies, and challenge. Work and Occupations39(4): 427–48.
25.
KhanzodeVVMaitiJRayPK (2012) Occupational injury and accident research: a comprehensive review. Safety Science50(5): 1355–67.
26.
LeombruniRRazzoliniTSertiF (2013) The pecuniary and non-pecuniary costs of job displacement: the risky job of being back to work. European Economic Review61(July): 205–16.
27.
LloydCJamesS (2008) Too much pressure? Retailer power and occupational health and safety in the food processing industry. Work, Employment and Society22(4): 713–30.
28.
MarvastiA (2010) Occupational safety and English language proficiency. Journal of Labor Research31(4): 332–47.
29.
OhJHShinEH (2003) Inequalities in nonfatal work injury: the significance of race, human capital, and occupations. Social Science and Medicine57(11): 2173–82.
30.
QuinlanM (1999) The implications of labour market restructuring in industrialized societies for occupational health and safety. Economic and Industrial Democracy20(3): 427–60.
31.
QuinlanMMayhewCBohleP (2001) The global expansion of precarious employment, work disorganization, and consequences for occupational health: a review of recent research. International Journal of Health Services31(2): 335–414.
32.
RobinsonAMSmallmanC (2006) The contemporary British workplace: a safer and healthier place?Work, Employment and Society20(1): 87–107.
33.
SaloniemiAVirtanenPVahteraJ (2004) The work environment in fixed-term jobs: are poor psychosocial conditions inevitable?Work, Employment and Society18(1): 193–208.
34.
ShannonHSMayrJHainesT (1997) Overview of the relationship between organizational and workplace factors and injury rates. Safety Science26(3): 201–17.
35.
StellmanJM (2008) Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety. Geneva: ILO.
36.
StoutNAJenkinsELPizatellaTJ (1996) Occupational injury mortality rates in the United States: change from 1980 to 1989. American Journal of Public Health86(1): 73–7.
37.
VirtanenMKivimäkiMJoensuuMVirtanenPElovainioMVahteraJ (2005) Temporary employment and health: a review. International Journal of Epidemiology34(3): 610–22.
38.
ViscusiWK (1978) Wealth effects and earnings premiums for job hazards. The Review of Economics and Statistics60(3): 408–16.
39.
VredenburghAG (2002) Organizational safety: which management practices are most effective in reducing employee injury rates?Journal of Safety Research33(2): 259–76.
40.
WorrallJDButlerRJ (1983) Health conditions and job hazards: union and nonunion jobs. Journal of Labor Research4(4): 339–47.
41.
ZoharD (1980) Safety climate in industrial organizations: theoretical and applied implications. Journal of Applied Psychology65(1): 96–101.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
