 A Statistics Canada report on workplace injuries published on Tuesday morning found that obese women had nearly twice the odds of being wounded at work, in comparison to those whose weight was considered in the normal range. Men were off the hook as the same finding did not emerge for them.
In addition to weight, a number of other factors were shown in the study that were linked to an increased risk of suffering a workplace injury.
In all job categories, men were more likely than women to sustain an injury and injuries were more common in "blue-collar" jobs than in "white-collar" ones.
Nearly one worker in 10 or 9% in trades, transport, or equipment operation got hurt at work in 2003, the year from which the information was collected. That was more than four times the rate or 2% among Canadians in business, finance, education and other white-collar professions.
Shift work and jobs that require strenuous effort -- characteristics associated with blue-collar jobs -- were also linked with an increased risk of injury, the study added.
Age and income were also among the other factors, men only were here this time. About 6% of men aged 18 to 34 suffered a workplace injury, compared with 5.4% of men aged 35 to 44.
Men who got paid less than $60,000 a year were more likely to get an injury than were those with a salary higher than $60,000. The odds of injury were also higher for men who worked long hours every week.
In total, around 630,000 Canadians sustained a minimum of one non-fatal activity-limiting wound at the workplace in 2003, the report indicated. That's an overall workplace wound rate of 4%.
Around 28% of all work-related wounds involved hands, followed by the lower back. The most frequent type of injury was a sprain or strain, followed by cuts and fractures. |
