Workers over the age of 50 are slightly less likely to have accidents at work than others, but these accidents are more serious when they do occur, according to the Health Observatory published on Tuesday by the Mutualité française. “The number of accidents at work decreases with age,” explains the Observatory. Work accidents of those over 50 years of age represent 25% of all work accidents, while these older workers represent 29% of employees.
On the other hand, when these accidents occur, they are more serious: workers over 50 years of age are clearly overrepresented in permanent disabilities or deaths, since in 41% of permanent disabilities and in 58% of deaths linked to a work accident, the victim is over 50 years old.
Likewise, the duration of work stoppages after an accident tends to be longer for older employees, with a ratio of 86.9 days per accident for those aged 50 to 59, compared to 79 days for those aged 40 to 49. years, and 44.2 for those between 40 and 49 years. those from 20 to 29 years old. In general, sick leave increases notably with age, also remember Mutualidad. While the average length of sick leave in France is 35 days for all employees, it increases to 75 days for employees over 60, it notes.
Increase the contribution for work accidents in companies with a high accident rate
The Observatory of the Health of the Mutualité dedicates this year to a great extent to the health in the work, on which makes a series of proposals. But this speech was not to the liking of the Mutualité inter-union, which took the opportunity to denounce in a press release the “serious health problems at work” within the Mutualité itself, an organization of 244 employees. The inter-union (Economic and Social Committee, CFDT, CFE CGC, SUD Mutualité) mentioned in particular “depression arrests of many employees” and “complaints against harmful management methods”.
“We have implemented preventive and corrective measures” after the expertise launched by the works council and the management, indicated for her part the general director of the Mutual Society, Séverine Salgado, who did not want to express herself at a social level before the upcoming opening of negotiations.
In its Observatory, the Mutualité proposes increasing the contribution for accidents at work/occupational diseases in companies with a high accident rate. It also suggests “limiting burnout” by “expanding access to early retirement for permanent disability linked to burnout.” The mutual also pronounces itself in favor of the return of the criteria of “painful postures”, “heavy loads”, “mechanical vibrations” and “dangerous chemical agents”, recently eliminated in the assessment of the arduous profession.
Source: BFM TV
