Accidents at work in temporary agency work in Finland: overview of the trend, characteristics and suggested prevention measures

Temporary agency work has been associated with a heightened risk of unwanted occupational health and safety outcomes, such as accidents. This study provides information about accidents at work during temporary agency work, analyzed based on the Finnish national occupational accident statistics database, to inform their prevention. The analyses focus on the trends, circumstances, sequence of events, and consequences of the accidents. Data from a case of a temporary work agency was analyzed to understand practical accident prevention measures. The results showed that accident frequency remained high in temporary agency work during the last decade. Accident prevention in temporary agency work requires consideration of accident risks typical of different industries and tasks. Accidents related to handling objects, movement, and carrying by hand were common during temporary agency work. Several prevention measures were suggested, with carefulness being the most mentioned measure. The understanding of accident prevention measures should be developed towards a more comprehensive approach.