Blue-Collar Workers’ Accidents and Close Call Situations Connected to the Use of Cell Phones among Finns Aged 18–65

There has been discussion if the use of mobile phones causes accidents. We studied workers’ accidents and near accidents related to the use of phones. This study is part of a large cross-sectional study that was carried out on 15,000 working-age Finns. We noticed that there were 4–5 times more close call situations than accidents connected to mobile phones and also work related accidents were fewer than leisure related. There are confusing parameters like the use of mobile phones at work, differences in work content between women and men.

• L. Korpinen
• R. Pääkkönen
• F. Gobba

• Blue-collar workers
• accident
• cell phone
• close call situation.

[1] L. Raine, “Cell phone ownership hits 91% of adults,” 2013, (Online) Retrieved from www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/06/06/cell-phone-ownership-hits-91-of-adults.
[2] A. Saltos, D. Smith, K. Schreiber, S. Lichenstein, R. Lichenstein, “Cell-phone related injuries in the United States from 2000‒2012,” Journal of Safety Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, Mon. 2015, http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/jss.v1i1.7470
[3] Pew Research Center, “Device ownership over time,” 2014, (Online) Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/data-trend/mobile/device-ownership/
[4] Eurostat, “Accidents at work and work related health problem data,” Jan. 2013 http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/health/ accidents_work_work_related_health_problems/data/database
[5] Eurostat request DK533, 2013, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ xtnetassist/login.htm?requestId=DK533.
[6] K. Jørgensen, “Serious work accidents and their causes - An analysis of data from Eurostat,” Safety Science Monitor, vol. 19, no. 2, article 2, 2015.
[7] L. Korpinen, N. Suuronen, J. Latva-Teikari, R. Pääkkönen, “Questionnaire on the health effects of new technical equipment,” International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, vol. 39, pp. 105–114, Mon. 2009.
[8] L. Korpinen, R. Pääkkönen, “Accidents and close call situations connected to the use of mobile phones,” Accident Analysis and Prevention, vol. 45, pp. 75–82, Mon. 2012.