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Introduction The section dedicated to statistical data is an opportunity to provide a description of the current state of health and safety in the Fishing sector. Here is a presentation of tables and graphs that focus on Offshore Fishing, i.e. fishing activity performed within the 6-mile limit by vessels below 10 tsl, falling under Inail insurance coverage for occupational accidents and diseases. In order to give a complete picture, there is also a brief illustration of accidents occurring on board vessels of over 10 tsl, covered by Ipsema insurance. The information given offers an overview of accidents that happen during fishing activities. The working group intends to carry on studying on-board safety conditions, offering as broad a view as possible and using all available sources. On this point, this space will be made available for studies, including local studies, conducted by researchers and operators working in the sector. As regards the data presented here, tables 1 to 4 illustrate the structural traits of the Fishing sector, in terms of both workers and operational capacities of the fishing fleet. Subsequent tables, as already mentioned, refer to accidents occurring in the Offshore Fishing sector, which in Italy is of particular importance, since 83% of fishing vessels (table 3) have a tonnage of below 10 tsl. In order to be able to gauge the risk of accidents in the sector, accident frequency rates have been calculated, comparing the yearly average for accidents occurring in the three-year period 1997-99 with the number of fishermen in 1998 (table 5, source: Inail). The use of a yearly average reduces the influence of any fluctuations from one year to the next. The biggest advantage in calculating the frequency rate is the possibility of making direct comparisons with other areas of business activity or different areas of the country (e.g. different Regions, Provinces or maritime Districts) or again different periods of time. Table 6 shows the results of calculations of sectoral frequency rates, which refer solely to workers (source: Ispesl), taken to mean persons that perform chiefly manual, and not office-based, activities. In this way, even if the reference period is less recent (1995-97), the comparison with the Offshore fishing rate is more appropriate. In tables 5 and 6 it is interesting to observe the different degree of risk of the sector if one considers all accidents or only the more serious accidents, in particular fatal accidents (cf. relative graphs). Table 7 offers a regional comparison with regard to the risk of accidents in the Offshore fishing fleet. After illustrating data based on frequency rates, tables have been compiled containing absolute data on accidents which, while being of relative value for comparative purposes, highlight some characteristics of accident trends, useful for further statistical analysis. Tables 8 and 9 provide time series for accidents occurring in the past few years, accompanied by a more interesting graph that illustrates seasonal trends, obtained from the monthly averages for accidents occurring between 1994 and 1999 (accident fluctuations from month to month reflect the type of fishing activity during the year but also permit considerations as to some peaks of the curve). Table 10 shows how the percentage of more serious accidents changes according to age classes. Table 11 gives a breakdown of accidents by working hours. Tables 12 and 13 illustrate the pairs form-agent and nature-seat of accidents ordered by the composite accident severity index (ISG). This index measures both the severity and frequency of the event. Its value is the sum of conventional days' absence from work (for a given pair) considering all accidents that produce a temporary or permanent disability or are fatal. The form-agent pairs provide a concise illustration of accident modes, in other words how the accident happened and which agent, or material element, was involved. The review concludes with the table on diseases indemnified by Inail. The small number of indemnities in the period of time considered raises the delicate problem of information currently available on the subject of work-related pathologies. A greater knowledge of the phenomenon, freed of constraints imposed for insurance purposes, is absolutely necessary for performing suitable prevention activity. In this sense, Ispesl is committed to creating a network for the monitoring of occupational diseases, tried out for the first time in programmes drawn up by the Lombardy and Tuscany regions. |