Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Inj Prev. 2010 Feb;16(1):53-6. doi: 10.1136/ip.2009.021683.
This study aims to examine fatalities resulting from tree felling and related activities in Victoria, Australia, involving work and do-it-yourself (DIY) activities, 1992-2007. Case identification was undertaken using coronial databases. A manual review of coroners' findings of closed cases was performed. Data collected and examined comprised demographics, occupation, incident location, activity, equipment used, injury mechanism and cause of death. Sixty-two cases were identified during the 16-year period; over 50% comprised DIY deaths (n=33). All but one victim was male. The median age for paid workers was less than for DIY (43 years vs 59 years). One-third of work activities were performed by persons outside professional tree-felling industries. While commercial forestry and logging industries experience a high fatality rate in Australia, non-professionals are also vulnerable to tree-felling injury. Study findings identified in excess of 70% of fatal incidents involved persons not employed within a relevant industry. Prevention efforts must focus on safety beyond workplaces and certain industries alone to reduce these deaths.
本研究旨在调查 1992 年至 2007 年期间澳大利亚维多利亚州因伐木及相关活动导致的死亡事件，涉及工作场所和 DIY 活动。通过验尸官数据库进行病例识别。对已结案的验尸官调查结果进行了手动审查。收集和检查的数据包括人口统计学、职业、事件地点、活动、使用的设备、受伤机制和死因。在 16 年期间共确定了 62 例病例；超过 50%为 DIY 死亡（n=33）。除一人外，所有受害者均为男性。带薪工人的中位年龄低于 DIY 工人（43 岁比 59 岁）。三分之一的工作活动由非专业树木砍伐行业人员完成。虽然澳大利亚商业林业和伐木业的死亡率很高，但非专业人员也容易受到伐木伤害。研究结果表明，超过 70%的致命事故涉及非相关行业的人员。预防工作必须不仅局限于工作场所和某些行业，还要关注安全问题，以减少这些死亡事件。
