P-101 DESCRIPTION OF FALLS FROM A HEIGHT IN OCCUPATIONAL SETTINGS

Abstract

Introduction Falls from great heights in the workplace are responsible for death and permanent disability. The aim of this study was to compare falls from great heights in the workplace with falls in other environments. Methodology: This was a retrospective study based on a permanent register implemented in an emergency medical service (EMS) in the Paris region. All adult patients transported by an advanced life support ambulance from 2003 to 2018 who fell from a great height (≥ 2 meters) were included. Results Of the 618 patients, 111 (18%) fell at work. The remaining 507 falls were related to suicide attempts (58%), accidents (26%) or unknown causes (16%). The sex ratio was 54.5 compared with 1.5 for other causes of falls (p < 10-3), with an average age of 39 for workplace falls compared with 44 for the other causes (p=0.01). The mean height of the fall was 6.7 at workplace compared with 11.8 m for other causes (p<10-3). The mean Glasgow Coma Scale was 13 for the workplace, compared with 9 for suicide, 12 for accidents and 5 for unknown causes (p < 10-3). Seven deaths occurred in the workplace (6.3%) compared with 40.1% for suicide, 8.5% for accidents and 68.7% for unknown causes (p < 10-3). Discussion and conclusion Falls in the workplace were comparable to accidental falls in terms of on-site fatality rate and severity, probably because they occurred at a lower height. Nevertheless, they should be the subject of reinforced preventive measures, given their high frequency.