(in German)

Work-related diseases of the musculoskeletal system are of great importance. The most important causal relationships in this field have been implemented as occupational disorder (OD) by law. However, the available statistics mainly report absolute frequencies of ODs. It is fundamental to refer these numbers to the total number of employees at risk to derive needs for preventions. The reference to the working population (e.g. to specific occupational groups) is lacking in the current health monitoring statistics.

The aims of the project is to provide occupation specific rates of new insurance claims of ODs (specifically "confirmed" cases) using ODs of chapter 21 of the German Occupational Disease Regulation (BKV; musculoskeletal disorders due to mechanical strain) with stratification by gender.

The study is based on the DGUV register of ODs (BK-DOK). Rates of newly confirmed insurance claims of ODs are estimated. The rates are stratified by occupation (3-digit code of ISCO-88) and gender. The sum of confirmed cases per occupation is considered as numerator separately for the ODs No. 2102, 2103, 2105, 2108, 2110, and 2112. Cases are cumulated for the time period from 2002 to 2012. The occupation specific extrapolated number of employed persons based on the German microcensus is used as denominator.

Occupation specific rates of confirmed cases of OD among men can be estimated for all considered ODs. Increased rates of confirmed cases of ODs can be found for example in miners, construction workers, and unskilled workers. In women, estimations are only feasible for OD No. 2108. Nurses, midwifes, other health professionals (except nurses) as well as related professions are strongly affected.

The approach indicates that it is possible to estimate occupation specific rates of OD, if data of the German microcensus are used and linked to the DGUV OD register. It is possible to identify specific occupations, in which workers are at risk to have an OD caused by mechanical exposures confirmed. Rates of ODs should be integrated into the official statistical reports.

Please download the complete report "Occupational diseases due to physical workload - rates of insurance claims" (in German only).