Relationship between the level of preventive training of the companies and their accident rates

Abstract

Accidents in the construction sector have become a serious problem that is continuously growing and whose analysis is hampered by the characteristics of the sector, which limits access to the necessary data to allow to study the phenomenon, draw conclusions and make targeted proposals to reduce work accidents. The aim of this article is to analyze the training of workers and the structure of the different companies in the sector to see their effect on accident rates. At a European level statistics on accidents in the sector indicate that the incidence rate of accidents is progressively decreasing but continues at very high levels. At national level incidence rates have risen after the economic crisis and the Balearic Islands is the region with the highest incidence rate of the whole of Spain, with an increase of 24.61% in three years (2013-2016). To this end, a sample of 125 companies from the construction sector in the Balearic Islands has been selected and, by using the panel data methodology, a matrix of the last 10 years has been compiled. The variables that are included in this matrix are, on the one hand, the training received by the workers, considering the different levels of training established by the applicable regulations and, on the other, the accidents suffered by these companies during the present time of this study, taking into account the severity of the accident according to its accredited classification. The results show evidence of a relationship between the level of training of the companies and their accident rates. This study also aims to provide new empirical evidence on the relationship between preventive training and level of safety at work and the subsequent accidents.