Facts and figures

Analyses of EUROSTAT data based on the ESAW methodology (European statistics on accidents at work) can help identify accidents related to maintenance operations in several European countries.

It is estimated that around 15-20% (depending on country) of all accidents and 10-15% of all fatal accidents are related to maintenance operations.

Maintenance, repair tuning adjustment is fourth on the list of top 10 working processes accounting for the highest number of fatal accidents over 2003-05 (EUROSTAT-ESAW).

Accidents increasingly tend to happen not during normal operation, but rather during repair, maintenance, cleaning, adjusting, etc.

According to a survey conducted in 2005 in France, maintenance is the most subcontracted function in industry. An analysis of a French work accidents database shows that in 2002 maintenance employees were the second most frequent victims of accidents related to subcontracting, just behind construction workers.

An analysis of the results of the Spanish National Survey of Working Conditions (2007) indicates higher exposure of maintenance workers to noise and to hand arm and whole body vibrations compared to other workers. They are also more exposed to dangerous substances, vapours and fumes.

Around 25% of all electrical injury accidents are caused by portable electrical equipment. Faulty leads to equipment cause around 2000 fires each year. A major cause of such accidents and fires is the failure to carry out inspections and maintenance (HSE).

Read our report and related factsheet  Maintenance and OSH – A statistical picture