Every year, over 2,400 occupational accidents are registered in Norwegian industry. A report from the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority now shows which industries are most at risk – and which types of accidents occur most often.
Different industries – different risk factors
Industry encompasses many different businesses with varying production forms and working conditions. Previously, statistics have only shown figures for industry as a whole, but in this report, the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, in collaboration with Statistics Norway (SSB), has compiled detailed figures at the industry level.
In addition, information from accidents reported directly to the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority has been analyzed to provide a more precise picture of the situation.
The review shows that the following parts of the industry have the most occupational accidents and work-related deaths:
- Lumber and wood products industry
- Mineral products industry
- Metal products industry
- Repair and installation of machinery
- Food industry
Accidents often occur during cleaning and maintenance
A large proportion of accidents occur in connection with working on or around machinery – often during cleaning, maintenance or troubleshooting. Many of the incidents involve crushing and cutting injuries, which occur when gloves, clothing or body parts come into contact with moving machine parts.
– We see several cases where workers are injured because the machine has not been turned off, or because they try to remove debris that has become stuck while the machine is still running, says Monica Seem, department director at the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority.
The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority is now conducting a nationwide inspection campaign to investigate whether industrial companies are doing enough to prevent accidents during maintenance.
Falls and crush injuries are common types of accidents.
Fall accidents are also common in industry. They often occur in connection with working at height – such as on ladders, stairs or scaffolding – during assembly, repair or service.
Such accidents occur both on our own premises, in workshops and at customers' premises.
“We also record many incidents during handling, transport, loading and unloading of goods or equipment. Here we typically see crushing injuries or injuries from being hit by objects,” says Seem.
Also consider the risk of unforeseen situations
The report shows that many accidents occur when work does not go as planned, for example due to technical errors, downtime or other deviations.
– Businesses must ensure that employees know what to do in such situations, and that risk assessments also include unplanned events, emphasizes Seem.
Previous analyses have pointed in the same direction: many serious accidents occur precisely in non-conformance situations – when routines are deviated from or production does not proceed as normal.
“Maintenance and cleaning work must be mapped and risk assessed in the same way as daily production. This is crucial to preventing injuries and ensuring safe workplaces,” Seem concludes.
