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Minerva Medicolegale 2009 September;129(3):131-45

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Occupational injury mortality: Brescia (Italy) 1982-2007

Perotti S. ¹, Vassalini M. ², Richetti S. ²

¹ Cattedra di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italia 2 Scuola di Specializzazione in Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italia

This study deals with the analysis of occupational injury cases that have been submitted to technical investigation by Brescia Institute of Legal Medicine from the beginning of 1982 till the end of 2007. During this period, 384 workers died while they were working; in these cases an autopsy or an external exam of the corpse were requested. In the period taken into account, the analysis of the cases pointed out a progressive and constant decrease of forensic technical investigation. Death from work-related accidents is a major topical public health problem. Analysis of occupational injury deaths by demographic, employment, modality and injury characteristics facilitates effective use of resources aimed at preventing injuries in the workplace. The discussion considers, other than analytical aspects, the changes due to the progress of law and jurisprudence during the years studied. The evolution of law has, in fact, greatly modified some procedures of forensic technical investigation, regarding to fatal work related accidents. Civil aspects correlated with employer reliability and damage compensation are also taken into consideration.