Workplace and Commuting Accidents Among Older Workers in France in 2011–2012: Study Findings
Santé publique France has published the results of a study on workplace and commuting accidents among older workers in France in 2011 and 2012, which, for the first time, were analyzed separately for men and women. Based on the two main social security systems, the study highlights accident causes and sectors of activity that are of particular concern among older women.
In France, the number of older workers has risen sharply in recent years: according to INSEE, the number of workers aged 50 and over rose from 5.3 million in 2001 to 8.6 million in 2016. The number of older workers is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. However, very few studies have been conducted in France to describe their occupational risks, particularly workplace and commuting accidents (home-to-work), which constitute the leading occupational risk among all employees of all ages.
In this context, Santé publique France conducted a study on workplace and commuting accidents among older workers. The analyses were based on workplace accident compensation data recorded by two of the main social security schemes (the general scheme and the agricultural workers’ scheme) for the years 2011 and 2012, and for the first time in France, separately for men and women.
Key findings:
Work-related accidents were less frequent among older workers than among all employees covered by the two schemes considered; however, they were more severe.
The frequency of workplace accidents among older workers was higher than that of all employees in a greater number of industries among women than among men: 13 industries for women versus 3 industries for men.
The study revealed that falls on the same level (for workplace and commuting accidents) and falls from heights (for workplace accidents) were more frequent among older women than among all female employees. Further studies are needed to understand the accident mechanisms at play and confirm these results.
