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- Original Article Injury rates and work-related diseases following workforce reduction among South Korean on-site workers in basic local governments between 2016 and 2018
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Dongwhan Suh1
, Nahyun Kim1, Han-Na Jung1, Woo Chul Jeong2, Hyunjoo Kim1,* -
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2025;37:e17.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/aoem.2025.37.e17
Published online: July 28, 2025
1Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, Seoul, Korea
2Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Korea
- *Corresponding author: Hyunjoo Kim Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, 1071 Anyangcheon-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul 07985, Korea E-mail: hkim.ewhaoem@gmail.com
• Received: June 7, 2024 • Revised: August 1, 2024 • Accepted: September 17, 2024
© 2024 Korean Society of Occupational & Environmental Medicine
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Abstract
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Background South Korean on-site workers in the public sector, fully covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, often perform hazardous tasks. However, their status and injury rates remain poorly documented. This study aimed to analyze changes in injury rates and the proportion of work-related diseases (WRDs) among on-site workers in basic local governments (BLGs) following workforce reductions between 2016 and 2018.
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Methods Data from two sources provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor were analyzed: organizational data on the number of on-site workers, and cases of injuries, deaths, and diseases among on-site workers in 226 BLGs from 2016 to 2018; and workers’ compensation claims data (individual data) for on-site workers in BLGs during the same period. Injury, mortality, and disease incidence rates were calculated and compared between BLGs with increased and decreased workforce. The proportion of WRDs among all the injuries was also examined.
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Results The total number of on-site workers in BLGs decreased by 18.1% in 2018 compared with 2016. The injury rate increased from 0.46% in 2016 to 0.62% in 2018. BLGs with workforce reductions showed higher injury rates, particularly in those with fewer than 1,000 on-site workers. The proportion of WRDs among all injuries increased by 1.34 times in 2018 compared with 2016.
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Conclusions Workforce reductions among on-site workers in BLGs are associated with higher injury rates and a great proportion of WRDs. These findings highlight the need for improved occupational safety and health practices within the public sector and serve as an important basis for establishing workforce management and injury prevention policies. However, limitations in the available data made it challenging to identify worker groups particularly vulnerable to WRDs. Further research is needed, as it is critical for the development of effective occupational safety and health policies.
BACKGROUND
South Korea adopted a local autonomous system in June 1995. Local governments are divided into upper and lower levels, with 226 basic local governments (BLGs) comprising 75 cities, 82 counties, and 69 districts. On-site workers in BLGs are responsible for non-administrative tasks. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor Notice No. 2020-62, these tasks include cleaning, facility management, cooking, and other field-related tasks. On-site workers in public administration perform tasks such as security and maintenance of government offices and facilities, road maintenance and repair; environmental sanitation (e.g., street cleaning, waste collection and disposal), maintenance of parks and green spaces, forestry surveys, and cooking and cafeteria operations.
According to statistical data and literature reviews, the occupational injury rate for workers engaged in general maintenance of buildings, including security, maintenance of facilities was 0.50% in 2018, which is higher than the occupational injury rate for other service industries during the same period, which was 0.37%.1 The average annual injury rate for road and related facility operation industries from 2017 to 2021 was 1.52%, approximately 2.7 times higher than the average rate across all industries (0.56%), with the number of injuries continuously increasing.2 Similarly, the occupational injury rate for sanitation workers was 0.96% in 2018, compared to 0.54% for workers across all industries. Workers in the forestry industry had an occupational injury rate of 0.86% in 2021, higher than the overall rate for all workers (0.63%). Additionally, the occupational injury rate for those in the wholesale, food, and lodging sectors, which includes work related to cooking facilities, was 0.63% in 2021, compared to 0.41% in other service industries.1 In summary, on-site workers perform more hazardous tasks than general workers or those in other service sectors. However, the specific status of on-site workers and their injuries remains under-researched.
The number of on-site workers in BLGs fluctuates depending on government policies. A reduction in the workforce without a corresponding decrease in workload increases labor intensity per worker. Increased work intensity may result in longer working hours or higher workload per unit time. Several studies have examined the relationship between longer working hours or increased workload, health effects, and accidents. Caruso et al.3 reported that long working hours negatively affect workers, their families, employers, and communities in various ways by impacting sleep time, recovery time from work, personal time, increasing job demands, and increasing exposure to workplace hazards. These factors contribute to fatigue, stress, negative emotions, discomfort, pain, cognitive dysfunction, and physiological changes. Increased work intensity has been linked to reduced organizational safety and negative mental health outcomes such as stress, depression, and burnout, which may ultimately lead to physical health deterioration.4,5 While there are studies on nursing staff shortages and the resulting harm to patients, quantitative studies examining workforce reduction, occupational injuries, and work-related diseases (WRDs) are limited.6,7
This study focuses on the period from 2016 to 2018. According to Statistic Korea,8 the number of non-public officials in government agencies, including on-site workers, increased from 581,000 in 2016 to 597,000 in 2017, but declined to 576,000 in 2018. During this period, the study aimed to assess the status of on-site workers in BLGs and their injury rates. By analyzing changes in injury rates in relation to workforce fluctuations, we sought to understand the impact of these changes on occupational injuries. Additionally, the study aimed to identify groups particularly vulnerable to occupational injuries, especially WRDs, during periods of workforce reduction.
METHODS
Data from two sources provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor were analyzed. The first dataset (organizational data) included the number of on-site workers, and cases of injuries, deaths, and diseases among on-site workers in 226 BLGs from 2016 to 2018. Each BLG was anonymized, so no additional information beyond what was provided in the dataset could be obtained. The number of disease cases refers to work-related illness incidents, excluding deaths.
The second dataset (individual data) was the workers' compensation claims data for occupational injuries among on-site workers in BLGs during the same period. The dataset included 3,690 injured workers from 2016 to 2018 (1,199 injured in 2016, 1,164 injured in 2017, 1,327 injured in 2018), matching the total number of injured workers from the first dataset. The dataset provided detailed information for each injury case, such as type and source of injury, day and time of injury occurrence, industry classification of the injured worker’s workplace, duration of medical treatment required, and personal characteristics of the injured (e.g., sex, age, and tenure). However, the affiliations of the injured workers were also anonymized, preventing identification of which BLG each worker was associated with. Industries were categorized according to the Korean industrial classification system, which has two hierarchical levels: sector and industry group. A sector represents a broad category, while an industry group is a more specific classification within each sector.
The analysis using organizational data was an ecological study on the status of occupational injuries among on-site workers in 226 BLGs. The analysis using individual data, or workers’ compensation claims data was conducted as a cross-sectional study.
Using organizational data, the status of on-site workers in BLGs and their injury, mortality, and disease incidence rates from 2016 to 2018 were calculated. These rates were calculated by dividing the number of injuries, deaths, and disease cases by the number of on-site workers, respectively. Each BLG was then classified based on whether the number of on-site workers increased or decreased compared with the previous year, and the injury, mortality, and disease incidence rates were compared between the two groups. Additionally, we hypothesized that the impact of workforce changes might vary depending on the number of workers. To explore this, we stratified BLGs into two groups, those with an increase and those with a decrease in the number of on-site workers compared to the previous year, based on a threshold of 1,000 on-site workers. This threshold was chosen based on Statistics Korea’s employment size categories for private companies: fewer than 100, 100–299, 300–499, 500–999, and 1,000 or more. Additionally, according to the Framework Act on Small and Medium Enterprises in Korea, companies with 1,000 or more employees are not classified as small or medium enterprises. Injury, mortality, and disease incidence rates were calculated as weighted averages, with the number of on-site workers in each BLG as the weighting factor.
Using individual data, we examined the distribution of personal characteristics among on-site workers approved for occupational injuries, as well as the industry classification of their workplace and the type of injury. The incidence of WRDs and their proportion among all the injuries were calculated. WRDs refer to diseases in which the work environment or working conditions serve as major risk factors, including cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal diseases. Additionally, we analyzed changes in the proportion of WRDs among all injuries based on the personal characteristics of the injured workers to identify groups vulnerable to WRDs. Although it would be more appropriate to compare the incidence of WRDs according to the personal characteristics, the organization data did not include the personal characteristics of on-site workers in BLGs, which prevents the calculation of incidence rates according to the personal characteristics.
This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB No. 2022-10-018) of Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. This study used de-identified secondary data provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and informed consent was waived by the Institutional Review Board.
RESULTS
The number of BLGs with 1,000 or more on-site workers decreased from 116 in 2016 to 99 in 2017 and 68 in 2018. The total number of on-site workers in BLGs was 262,469 in 2016, with no significant change in 2017, but it decreased by approximately 47,000 workers (18.1%) in 2018. The injury rates were 0.46%, 0.44%, and 0.62% in 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively. The mortality rates were 0.34‰, 0.61‰, and 0.60‰ in 2016, 2017, and 2018, while the disease incidence rates were 0.38‰ in 2016, 0.40‰ in 2017, and increased to 0.65‰ in 2018 (Table 1).
The number of BLGs experiencing an increase in the number of on-site workers compared with the previous year (referred to as "increased workforce") decreased from 95 in 2017 to 60 in 2018. The number of BLGs with a decrease in the number of on-site workers (referred to as “decreased workforce”) rose from 131 in 2017 to 166 in 2018. The median number of workforce increase in BLGs with increased workforce was 170 and workforce decrease in BLGs with decreased workforce was 182 (Supplementary Table 1). The injury, mortality, and disease incidence rates in BLGs with decreased workforce were higher than those in BLGs with increased workforce. In 2017, the 131 BLGs with decreased workforce had injury, mortality, and disease incidence rates of 0.54%, 0.95‱, and 0.49‰, respectively, which were higher than the 95 BLGs with increased workforce, where the respective rates were 0.37%, 0.34‱, and 0.33‰. Similarly, in 2018, the 166 BLGs with decreased workforce had injury, mortality, and disease incidence rates of 0.73%, 0.72‱, and 0.80‰, respectively, which were higher than the respective rates of 0.46%, 0.44‱, and 0.44‰ in the 60 BLGs with increased workforce.
Furthermore, BLGs classified as two groups according to the change in the number of on-site workers compared with the previous year were stratified based on 1,000 on-site workers. In 2017, the injury rate in BLGs with 1,000 or more on-site workers (large-sized) and increased workforce was 0.35%. In contrast, BLGs with fewer than 1,000 on-site workers (small-sized) and decreased workforce had a higher injury rate of 0.61%. By 2018, the injury rate in large-sized BLGs with increased workforce was 0.41%, while small-sized BLGs with decreased workforce had a much higher injury rate of 0.99%. Regarding disease incidence, large-sized BLGs with increased workforce had a rate of 0.33‰ in 2017, compared to 0.55‰ in small-sized BLGs with decreased workforce. In 2018, the disease incidence rate in large-sized BLGs with increased workforce was 0.35‰, and it surged to 1.05‰ in small-sized BLGs with decreased workforce. However, likely due to the small number of cases, no clear trend was observed in mortality rates, unlike the trends in injury and disease incidence (Table 2, Supplementary Fig. 1).
In 2016, 65.3% of those approved for occupational injuries were male, increasing to 67.0% in 2017 and 70.8% in 2018. The proportion of injured workers under 60 years old was 51.6% in 2016, 53.2% in 2017, and 52.8% in 2018, and the proportion of those with less than 1 year of service was 68.6% in 2016, 70.6% in 2017, and 67.0% in 2018. In 2016, 63.0% of those approved for occupational injuries were employed in facility management and business support services, making it the most common sector. However, in 2017 and 2018, the majority were among those employed in government and local government services, comprising 95.4% and 99.4%, respectively. Occupational accidents accounted for 86.2% of approved injuries in 2016, 85.1% in 2017, and 81.2% in 2018. Traffic accidents comprised 5.2% of injuries in 2016 and 2017, rising to 7.5% in 2018. WRDs accounted for 7.0% of injuries in 2016, 7.6% in 2017, and 9.4% in 2018 (Table 3).
The number of approved WRDs among on-site workers in BLGs increased from 84 cases in 2016 to 88 cases in 2017 and 125 cases in 2018. The incidence of WRDs per 10,000 workers was 3.2‱ in 2016, 3.4‱ in 2017, and 5.8‱ in 2018. The proportion of WRDs among all occupational injuries was 7.0% in 2016, 7.6% in 2017, and 9.4% in 2018.
Among male injured workers, the proportion approved for WRDs was 9.5% in 2016, 8.8% in 2017, and 11.4% in 2018. In contrast, the proportion of female injured workers approved for WRDs was 2.4% in 2016, 4.9% in 2017, and 4.7% in 2018. For workers under 60 years old, the proportion approved for WRDs was 9.5% in 2016, 11.1% in 2017, and 12.8% in 2018, while for those aged 60 and older, it was 4.3% in 2016, 3.5% in 2017, and 5.6% in 2018. Among injured workers with less than 1 year of service, 3.0% were approved for WRDs in 2016, 3.8%, in 2017, and 4.2% in 2018. In comparison, among those with 1 year or more of service, 15.6% were approved in 2016, 16.7% in 2017, and 20.1% in 2018 (Table 4).
DISCUSSION
In Table 1, the injury rate among all on-site workers in BLGs increased by approximately 1.35 times in 2018 compared with 2016. In Table 2, total injury rates in BLGs that experienced a decrease in the number of on-site workers compared with the previous year were 1.46 and 1.59 times higher in 2017 and 2018, respectively, than in BLGs with an increased number of on-site workers. A similar pattern was observed for mortality and disease incidence rates in 2017 and 2018, with higher rates in BLGs that experienced a decrease in the number of on-site workers. This suggests that not only an overall reduction in the workforce but also a decrease in the workforce at the workplace level may contribute to an increase in occupational injuries.
It is possible that changes in the total workload in 2018 led to changes in the workforce. However, given the nature of public administration, sudden changes in overall workload seem unlikely. The reduction in workforce may have resulted from a decrease in workload due to outsourcing. However, considering the characteristics of on-site work and the institutional constraints of public administration, it is not expected that employment relationships, such as dispatch or subcontracting, underwent significant changes within one or 2 years.
When the workforce decreases without a proportional decrease in the total workload, each worker may face longer working hours, or increased work intensity. Long working hours are associated with increased work-related injuries9,10 and a higher risk of motor vehicle accidents.11 Long work hours also correlate with safety and health issues, such as stress,12,13 depression,14 anxiety,15 sleep problems,16 cardiovascular diseases,17 and negative effects on their self-rated health status.18 The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health19 reported that increased work intensity is associated with musculoskeletal diseases. Increased work intensity can lead to heightened stress5 and a lack of rest, resulting in fatigue20 and decreased work performance,21 which may eventually cause accidents or lead to diseases such as cardiovascular22 and musculoskeletal diseases.23,24
Occupational injuries are influenced by various factors. The “Influence Network Model,” certified by the UK Health and Safety Executive explains how various factors interact in the occurrence of occupational injuries. The model defines injury occurrences as outcomes shaped by a network of direct (human, material), organizational, policy, and environmental influences. These factors interact sequentially, providing a framework for analyzing injury causes. This model provides a useful framework for analyzing occupational injuries among on-site workers in BLGs.
Several policy and environmental factors from 2016 to 2018 may have affected the incidence of occupational injuries. First, according to the budget overview of the Ministry of Employment and Labor,25 the budget for occupational injury prevention remained unchanged during this period, suggesting limited influence from budgetary changes. Second, during this period, the maximum legal weekly working hours in public institutions were reduced from 68 hours to 52 hours, likely contributing to a reduction in occupational injuries.26 Third, in 2017, the principle of estimation for occupational diseases was introduced, and in 2018, standards for recognizing cerebro-cardiovascular diseases (CCVDs) as occupational diseases were relaxed. As a result, the number of approved CCVDs cases increased from 421 cases in 2016 to 589 cases in 2017 and 925 cases in 2018, with the approval rate for occupational injuries rising from 22.0% in 2016 to 32.6% in 2017 and 41.3% in 2018.27 However, in our study, there was no significant change in the total number of approved cases for occupational injuries and WRDs between 2016 and 2017. Furthermore, although the increase was not as substantial as that for WRDs, other occupational injuries, excluding WRDs, also increased in 2018. Therefore, it is difficult to attribute the increase in occupational injuries and WRDs observed in our study solely to policy changes.
Direct and organizational factors may have contributed to the increased occupational injuries. In 2018, the number of on-site workers in BLGs decreased by approximately 18% compared with 2016 and 2017. Without corresponding reductions in workload, working hours or work intensity per unit time increases. Consequently, workers may face tasks beyond their capabilities, which could reduce their motivation and morale. As reviewed earlier, workers’ fatigue and stress increase, leading to a deterioration in their physical health.4,5 Additionally, difficulties may arise in recruiting and supplying human resources capable of working safely. However, existing Influence Network Models do not directly account for workforce changes.
The stratified analysis in Table 2 shows that the effect of workforce reduction on occupational injuries can vary depending on workplace size. The increase in the total injury rate due to workforce reduction was more pronounced in BLGs with fewer than 1,000 on-site workers compared to those with 1,000 or more on-site workers. It is well known that occupational injuries are more common in small-scale businesses.28 Mortality and morbidity rates in smaller workplaces are higher than the average rates across all industries.29 As workplace size decreases, workers reported musculoskeletal symptoms more frequently, and the incidence of occupational accidents also increases. Both the injury rate and mortality rate also rise as the size of the workplace decreases.30 Employees in smaller workplaces are more likely to be exposed to physical, chemical, ergonomic, and psychological hazards. Meanwhile, they have less access to organizational protection resources such as labor unions or safety delegates.31 Morse et al.32 also reported a tendency for illnesses to be underreported in smaller workplaces, which may lead to an underestimation of the actual incidence rate of diseases. Thus, workforce reduction in these more vulnerable workplaces must be approached with caution to prevent an increase in such injuries.
In Table 4, the incidence of WRDs increased by 1.82 times, and the proportion of WRDs among all injuries increased by 1.34 times in 2018 compared with 2016. Studies in South Korea has shown that workforce restructuring, such as after the 1998 economic crisis, led to an increase in work-related musculoskeletal symptoms due to stress, increase in work intensity and high job demands.33 Similarly, workforce restructuring in the securities firm workers during the same period was associated with higher psychosocial stress and depressive symptoms.34 Therefore, the increase in WRDs in this study may also be associated with workforce reductions.
Identifying groups vulnerable to the effects of workforce reduction on WRDs is crucial for establishing effective occupational injury prevention measures. While our study could not calculate WRD incidence based on personal characteristics due to limitation of provided data, the proportion of WRDs among occupational injuries increased across all demographic groups in 2018. In the case of older individuals, their physical abilities decline,35 and the prevalence of chronic diseases increases. In such cases, susceptibility to cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal diseases is known to increase.36 Moreover, those with a short length of service are known to be vulnerable to occupational accidents because of a lack of work proficiency.37 However, this trend could not be confirmed because the incidence according to the personal characteristics of the injured could not be calculated. In the future, additional research is needed using data that includes the personal characteristics of workers.
This study has several limitations. First, the analysis using organizational data was ecological, and the analysis using workers' compensation claims data was cross-sectional, which restricts the establishment of causal relationships. Second, minor injuries or illnesses may have been underreported, leading to potential underestimation of injury rates. Third, there are several limitations related to the provided data. As previously discussed, each BLG in the organizational data is anonymized, and the personal characteristics of on-site workers in these BLGs are unknown. Additionally, affiliations of the injured workers in the individual data are also anonymized. Consequently, it is not possible to calculate the injury rate and incidence of WRDs based on personal characteristics. Furthermore, it is suspected that the classification of industry groups in the individual data changed between 2016 and 2017–2018, making it difficult to conduct appropriate analyses based on industry classification.
Despite these limitations, this study makes significant contributions. First, it provides a clearer understanding of status of on-site workers in BLG and injury rates among them, an area that has not been well-studied. Second, we attempted to understand the impact of workforce reduction on occupational injuries and WRDs, which has been understudied. Lastly, it is meaningful that an attempt was made to identify groups vulnerable to occupational injuries and WRDs during workforce reduction, highlighting the need for further research in this area.
CONCLUSIONS
On-site workers in the public sector, fully covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, often perform hazardous tasks. However, their status and injury rates remain poorly documented. The key findings of this study can be summarized as follows: First, the injury rate among on-site workers in BLGs increased in 2018, coinciding with a reduction in the number of on-site workers. Second, BLGs that experienced a decrease in the number of on-site workers compared with the previous year had higher injury rates than those where the number of on-site workers increased, with this disparity being more pronounced in BLGs with fewer than 1,000 on-site workers. Third, WRDs also increased in 2018, when the number of on-site workers decreased.
The findings of this study highlight the need for increased awareness of occupational injuries among on-site workers in the public sector and serve as an important basis for establishing workforce management and occupational injury prevention policies. However, limitations in the available data prevented the identification of groups vulnerable to WRDs. Further research is needed, as it is critical for the development of effective occupational safety and health policies.
Abbreviations
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Funding
This research was funded by the Ministry of Personnel Management (grant No. 20220516A81-00).
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Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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Author contributions
Conceptualization: Suh D, Jeong WC, Kim H. Data curation: Suh D, Kim H. Formal analysis: Suh D, Kim N, Jung HN. Funding acquisition: Kim H. Investigation: Suh D, Kim N, Jung HN, Jeong WC, Kim H. Methodology: Suh D, Jeong WC, Kim H. Writing - original draft: Suh D, Kim H. Writing - review & editing: Suh D, Kim N, Jung HN, Jeong WC, Kim H.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank Mr. Young Sun Kim, Social Information Research Institute, for his statistical advice for this study.
NOTES
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL
Supplementary Table 1.
Changes in the number of on-site workers in BLGs compared with the previous year
Supplementary Fig. 1.
The injury rates of on-site workers according to changes in basic local government (BLG) size
Table 1.
Characteristics of study subjectsa
Table 2.
Values are presented as mean±SD.
BLG: basic local government; SD: standard deviation.
aBLG size = the number of on-site workers in basic local governments;
bThis table was analyzed using organizational data provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor;
cBLG size↑ = BLGs with an increase in the number of on-site workers compared with the previous year (increased workforce);
dBLG size↓ = BLGs with a decrease in the number of on-site workers compared with the previous year (decreased workforce).
Table 3.
General characteristics of the injured on-site workers in BLGsa
|
Year |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 783 (65.3) | 780 (67.0) | 940 (70.8) |
| Female | 416 (34.7) | 384 (33.0) | 387 (29.2) |
| Age (years) | |||
| <60 | 619 (51.6) | 619 (53.2) | 701 (52.8) |
| ≥60 | 580 (48.4) | 545 (46.8) | 626 (47.2) |
| Tenure | |||
| <1 year | 822 (68.6) | 822 (70.6) | 889 (67.0) |
| ≥1 year | 377 (31.4) | 342 (29.4) | 437 (32.9) |
| Unclassified | - | - | 1 (0.01) |
| Industry group | |||
| Government and local government services | 102 (8.5) | 1,110 (95.4) | 1,319 (99.4) |
| Facility management and business support services | 755 (63.0) | 35 (3.0) | 5 (0.4) |
| Forestry | 167 (13.9) | 10 (0.9) | 2 (0.2) |
| Othersb | 175 (14.6) | 9 (0.8) | 1 (0.1) |
| Injury type | |||
| Occupational accidentsc | 1,033 (86.2) | 991 (85.1) | 1,077 (81.2) |
| Traffic accident | 62 (5.2) | 60 (5.2) | 100 (7.5) |
| Work-related diseases | 84 (7.0) | 88 (7.6) | 125 (9.4) |
| Occupational diseases | 20 (1.7) | 25 (2.1) | 25 (1.9) |
Values are presented as number (%).
aThis table was analyzed using individual data provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor;
bOthers include construction; manufacturing; agriculture; wholesale and retail trade, food and accommodation services; electricity, gas, steam and water supply; professional, health, education and recreational services; and railway, aviation, warehousing and transportation services;
cOccupational accidents include crushing and overturning; entrapment; tripping; falling from heights; collapsing; being struck by objects; collision; cuts, lacerations, or puncture; imbalance and excessive movement; drowning or submersion; exposure to extreme temperatures; explosion or rupture; fire; electric shock; chemical leakage or contact; and others.
Table 4.
Incidence rates of WRD and Proportion of WRD within injured on-site workers in BLGs according to sex, age, and tenurea
|
Year |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
||||
| WRD | Non-WRD | WRD | Non-WRD | WRD | Non-WRD | |
| Incidence rate (‱) | 3.2 | 42.5 | 3.4 | 41 | 5.8 | 55.9 |
| Proportion within injured | 84 (7.0) | 1,115 (93.0) | 88 (7.6) | 1,076 (92.4) | 125 (9.4) | 1,202 (90.6) |
| Proportion according to sex | ||||||
| Male | 74 (9.5) | 709 (90.5) | 69 (8.8) | 711 (91.2) | 107 (11.4) | 833 (88.6) |
| Female | 10 (2.4) | 406 (97.6) | 19 (4.9) | 365 (95.1) | 18 (4.7) | 369 (95.3) |
| Proportion according to age | ||||||
| <60 years | 59 (9.5) | 560 (90.5) | 69 (11.1) | 550 (88.9) | 90 (12.8) | 611 (87.2) |
| ≥60 years | 25 (4.3) | 555 (95.7) | 19 (3.5) | 526 (96.5) | 35 (5.6) | 591 (94.4) |
| Proportion according to tenureb | ||||||
| <1 year | 25 (3.0) | 797 (97.0) | 31 (3.8) | 791 (96.2) | 37 (4.2) | 852 (95.8) |
| ≥1 year | 59 (15.6) | 318 (84.4) | 57 (16.7) | 285 (83.3) | 88 (20.1) | 349 (79.9) |
Values are presented as number (%).
WRD: work-related diseases; non-WRD: injuries except for work-related diseases (occupational accidents; traffic accident; occupational diseases).
aThis table was analyzed using individual data provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor;
bThere is one case with missing data on job tenure in 2018.
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XML DownloadInjury rates and work-related diseases following workforce reduction among South Korean on-site workers in basic local governments between 2016 and 2018
Injury rates and work-related diseases following workforce reduction among South Korean on-site workers in basic local governments between 2016 and 2018
| Year |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| BLG | |||
| Total number | 226 | 226 | 226 |
| With on-site workers ≥1,000 | 116 | 99 | 68 |
| With on-site workers <1,000 | 110 | 127 | 158 |
| With injury cases among on-site workers | 217 | 216 | 218 |
| With death cases among on-site workers | 9 | 15 | 13 |
| With disease cases among on-site workers | 63 | 77 | 94 |
| On-site workers | |||
| Total number | 262,469 | 262,785 | 215,048 |
| Workers per BLG | 1,161.4±698.3 | 1,162.8±917.8 | 951.5±825.1 |
| Injury cases per BLG | 5.31±3.68 | 5.15±3.58 | 5.87±4.03 |
| Death cases per BLG | 0.04±0.20 | 0.07±0.27 | 0.06±0.23 |
| Disease cases per BLG | 0.45±0.88 | 0.47±0.80 | 0.62±0.91 |
| The injury rate | |||
| Total injury rate (%) | 0.46±0.30 | 0.44±0.30 | 0.62±0.58 |
| Total injury rate (%) | 0.40 (0.25–0.61) | 0.38 (0.21–0.60) | 0.49 (0.27–0.89) |
| Mortality rate (‱) | 0.34±2.08 | 0.61±2.40 | 0.60±3.47 |
| Disease incidence rate (‰) | 0.38±0.72 | 0.40±0.70 | 0.65±1.49 |
| Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2018 | |||
| BLG size↑c | BLG size↓d | BLG size↑ | BLG size↓ | |
| (n = 95) | (n = 131) | (n = 60) | (n = 166) | |
| Total injury rate (%) | ||||
| Total BLGs | 0.37±0.25 | 0.54±0.33 | 0.46±0.30 | 0.73±0.70 |
| BLGs with ≥1,000 on-site workers | 0.35±0.25 | 0.47±0.24 | 0.41±0.23 | 0.46±0.31 |
| BLGs with <1,000 on-site workers | 0.43±0.27 | 0.61±0.40 | 0.64±0.43 | 0.99±0.85 |
| Mortality rate (‱) | ||||
| Total BLGs | 0.34±1.51 | 0.95±3.16 | 0.44±1.96 | 0.72±4.24 |
| BLGs with ≥1,000 on-site workers | 0.33±1.34 | 1.21±3.36 | 0.28±1.15 | 0.50±1.87 |
| BLGs with <1,000 on-site workers | 0.37±2.10 | 0.69±2.93 | 1.05±3.56 | 0.93±5.61 |
| Disease incidence rate (‰) | ||||
| Total BLGs | 0.33±0.61 | 0.49±0.79 | 0.44±0.66 | 0.80±1.85 |
| BLGs with ≥1,000 on-site workers | 0.33±0.61 | 0.43±0.51 | 0.35±0.43 | 0.53±0.68 |
| BLGs with <1,000 on-site workers | 0.34±0.62 | 0.55±0.98 | 0.79±1.09 | 1.05±2.47 |
| Year |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 783 (65.3) | 780 (67.0) | 940 (70.8) |
| Female | 416 (34.7) | 384 (33.0) | 387 (29.2) |
| Age (years) | |||
| <60 | 619 (51.6) | 619 (53.2) | 701 (52.8) |
| ≥60 | 580 (48.4) | 545 (46.8) | 626 (47.2) |
| Tenure | |||
| <1 year | 822 (68.6) | 822 (70.6) | 889 (67.0) |
| ≥1 year | 377 (31.4) | 342 (29.4) | 437 (32.9) |
| Unclassified | - | - | 1 (0.01) |
| Industry group | |||
| Government and local government services | 102 (8.5) | 1,110 (95.4) | 1,319 (99.4) |
| Facility management and business support services | 755 (63.0) | 35 (3.0) | 5 (0.4) |
| Forestry | 167 (13.9) | 10 (0.9) | 2 (0.2) |
| Others |
175 (14.6) | 9 (0.8) | 1 (0.1) |
| Injury type | |||
| Occupational accidents |
1,033 (86.2) | 991 (85.1) | 1,077 (81.2) |
| Traffic accident | 62 (5.2) | 60 (5.2) | 100 (7.5) |
| Work-related diseases | 84 (7.0) | 88 (7.6) | 125 (9.4) |
| Occupational diseases | 20 (1.7) | 25 (2.1) | 25 (1.9) |
| Year |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
||||
| WRD | Non-WRD | WRD | Non-WRD | WRD | Non-WRD | |
| Incidence rate (‱) | 3.2 | 42.5 | 3.4 | 41 | 5.8 | 55.9 |
| Proportion within injured | 84 (7.0) | 1,115 (93.0) | 88 (7.6) | 1,076 (92.4) | 125 (9.4) | 1,202 (90.6) |
| Proportion according to sex | ||||||
| Male | 74 (9.5) | 709 (90.5) | 69 (8.8) | 711 (91.2) | 107 (11.4) | 833 (88.6) |
| Female | 10 (2.4) | 406 (97.6) | 19 (4.9) | 365 (95.1) | 18 (4.7) | 369 (95.3) |
| Proportion according to age | ||||||
| <60 years | 59 (9.5) | 560 (90.5) | 69 (11.1) | 550 (88.9) | 90 (12.8) | 611 (87.2) |
| ≥60 years | 25 (4.3) | 555 (95.7) | 19 (3.5) | 526 (96.5) | 35 (5.6) | 591 (94.4) |
| Proportion according to tenure |
||||||
| <1 year | 25 (3.0) | 797 (97.0) | 31 (3.8) | 791 (96.2) | 37 (4.2) | 852 (95.8) |
| ≥1 year | 59 (15.6) | 318 (84.4) | 57 (16.7) | 285 (83.3) | 88 (20.1) | 349 (79.9) |
Table 1. Characteristics of study subjectsa
Values are presented as mean±SD or median (IQR). BLG: basic local government; SD: standard deviation; IQR: interquartile range. This table was analyzed using organizational data provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
Table 2. The injury rates of on-site workers according to changes in BLG sizea: analysis stratified by BLG sizeb
Values are presented as mean±SD. BLG: basic local government; SD: standard deviation. BLG size = the number of on-site workers in basic local governments; This table was analyzed using organizational data provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor; BLG size↑ = BLGs with an increase in the number of on-site workers compared with the previous year (increased workforce); BLG size↓ = BLGs with a decrease in the number of on-site workers compared with the previous year (decreased workforce).
Table 3. General characteristics of the injured on-site workers in BLGsa
Values are presented as number (%). This table was analyzed using individual data provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor; Others include construction; manufacturing; agriculture; wholesale and retail trade, food and accommodation services; electricity, gas, steam and water supply; professional, health, education and recreational services; and railway, aviation, warehousing and transportation services; Occupational accidents include crushing and overturning; entrapment; tripping; falling from heights; collapsing; being struck by objects; collision; cuts, lacerations, or puncture; imbalance and excessive movement; drowning or submersion; exposure to extreme temperatures; explosion or rupture; fire; electric shock; chemical leakage or contact; and others.
Table 4. Incidence rates of WRD and Proportion of WRD within injured on-site workers in BLGs according to sex, age, and tenurea
Values are presented as number (%). WRD: work-related diseases; non-WRD: injuries except for work-related diseases (occupational accidents; traffic accident; occupational diseases). This table was analyzed using individual data provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor; There is one case with missing data on job tenure in 2018.
