Haus und Freizeit - bfu

4.3 Accident situation
4.3.2 Persons injured
4.3.1 Fatal accidents
About 1500 people die in an accident in the home
and leisure sector each year. Fig. 3 clearly illustrates
the importance of falls. More than 80% of all
people killed in the house and leisure sector in
2007 died as a result of a fall. To a large extent,
the victims are older people. About 120 people
(8%) died due to drowning or asphyxiation.
The analysis of age segments illustrates that most
fatal accidents occur among senior citizens, the
figure being 87%. Children and adolescents account
for the lowest number of home and leisure accidents
resulting in death, the figure here being 1%.
Each year, about 600 000 people require medical
treatment as a result of an accident in the home
and leisure sector. The ‘falls’ accident segment
has the largest share with more than 50%
(Table 1). With nearly 20% of accidents, the second-largest
segment includes injuries caused by
the involvement of «Broken glass, sheetmetal,
etc.». Injuries caused by «Animals» or in connection
with «Equipment, tools, appliances, machinery»
occur at about the same rate and represent about
6% in each case. Accidents or injuries caused by
electricity are the ones least often registered and
only amount to about 0,05% of the total number
of accidents.
The number of accidents in the home and leisure
sector has only been subject to minor fluctuations
over the past 10 years.
Figure 3
Share of fatalities by cause of accident, 2007
1%
1% 2% 6%
8%
Falls
82%
The analysis of injury severity, which is oriented
towards the length of hospitalisation, also shows
that the «falls» accident segment predominates.
Compared with the other accident segments, falls
most frequently result in death and disability. An
above-average frequency of fatal accidents can
also be seen in the «Electrocution» and «Poisoning»
(food, gas, chemical products, etc.) accident
segments. Accordingly, the three accident segments
of «Falls», «Poisoning» and «Electrocution»
have the highest fatality rate in the home and leisure
sector.
An analysis of the accident segments as a function
Effect of mechanical forces
Breathing hazards (drowning/asphyxiation)
Smoke/fire/flames
Poisoning
Fatalities 2007: 1482
Other
Source: BFS, statistics on causes of accidents
of the five (predefined) age classes shows that in
six of the total of nine accidents segments (plus
«Injury caused by people» and «Unattributable
accidents») children and adolescents aged from
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