2019 Volume 12 Issue 1 Pages 41-50
Spinal cord injuries are not frequent; however, the rate of early return to work for people who suffer from such injuries is low, and such injuries are a burden on patients, their families, and others involved. To clarify the frequency of spinal cord injuries on work sites, we analyzed 387 cases of work-related spinal cord injuries due to falls to a lower level, falls on the same level, and being caught between objects, from 2012 to 2014. Although the rate of injuries in the construction industry is high, the rates of spinal cord injuries in the tertiary industry and due to falls on the same level have significantly increased recently. The rates of spinal cord injuries were significantly high for the construction industry, falls to a lower level, male workers, and older workers compared with all work-related accidents. Furthermore, 55.5% of spinal cord injuries due to falls to a lower level happened over distances under three meters, and there is a possibility for severe injuries to happen if workers fall from over one meter. We expect that these findings provide fundamental data to prevent work-related accidents.
