Wegeunfälle von Mitarbeitenden eines Großunternehmens der chemischen Industrie: Eine Unfalldatenanalyse von 1995 bis 2022

Commuting accidents of employees of a large chemical company: An accident data analysis from 1995 to 2022 Objective: The study aims to analyze accident data from a large German chemical company to identify the frequency, trends, and risk groups for commuting accidents. Methods: Longitudinal data (1995–2022) from employees at the company’s site in Ludwigshafen were utilized. All commuting accidents where employees sought examination at one of the occupational medical clinics were included in the current analysis. Data on the time, circumstances, and severity of accidents were collected from which further information on the mode of transport and cause of the accident was extracted. Accident rates were calculated per 1,000 person-years (PY). Trends in the accident data were analyzed using Joinpoint regression models. Results: The cohort consisted of 70,786 individuals with 940,354.5 PY observed, and 4,429 commuting accidents (4.5 per 1,000 PY). A u-shaped trend in commuting accidents was identified over the follow-up period, with a significant decline during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Higher rates were noted among individuals under 30 and women. January and Mondays were identified as the most accident-prone times. Most commuting accidents occurred on the way to work for both day and shift workers. The most common modes of transport involved in commuting accidents were bicycles (48.2 %) and pedestrians (25.2 %). Collisions (20.0 %) and weather-related issues (18.2 %) were the leading causes of commuting accidents. In 28.2 % of the cases, further medical treatment was required, and 1.8 % resulted in hospitalization. Conclusions: This analysis provides insights into trends, risk groups, and causes of commuting accidents. The findings can help target preventive measures and actions to reduce commuting accidents. Keywords: commuting accidents – commuters – occupational health – traffic safety – chemical industry