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A detailed analysis of accidents at work in industry shows that their frequency has been declining for a long time and that the trend will continue: from 44.6 accidents per million hours worked in 2005 to 23.5 in 2023.
There are still large differences between activities. For example, the frequency in 2023 will be 42.7 accidents per million hours worked in the manufacture of motor vehicles and trailers (compared with 72.1 in 2018), 39.9 in the manufacture of fabricated metal products and 6.1, the lowest frequency, in the manufacture of computers and optical equipment.
Injuries to fingers and eyes – 21.6% and 11% respectively in 2023 – have long been the most common. Accidents are most likely to occur when handling objects (27.9% in 2023), moving a person (23.1%) or working with hand tools (17.5%).
In the years 2016-2019, more than 1,000 accidents at work resulting in more than 30 days of incapacity to work occurred each year in the industry sector. The number was highest in 2018 (1,092 serious accidents) and then fell each year to reach 841 in 2022; data for 2023 are incomplete but it appears that this number will remain at the same level. In 2022, the most common serious accidents were those involving the movement of a person (28.7%) or the handling of objects (22.9%, including most injuries due to sharp objects, various types of broken objects, falls, etc., or loss of control of equipment or tools).
