Epidemiology of Workplace Accidents in Liguria (Italy), 2023–2025: Incidence, Severity, and Inequalities Between Italian and Foreign Workers

Abstract

Introduction

Workplace accidents are defined as unintended, unforeseen events that occur during employment and result in physical or psychological injury, illness, or death. They are a significant source of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with major consequences for public health, the economy, and workers' quality of life.

In Italy, nearly 600,000 events were documented in 2024, resulting in over 1,000 deaths. Analysing the settings and dynamics of these events, as well as the sociodemographic characteristics of the victims, would provide a deeper understanding of the phenomenon and identify potential preventive measures.

Objectives

This study aims to provide a detailed epidemiological analysis of workplace accidents in Liguria between 2023 and 2025. It will draw up a risk profile of the victims, paying particular attention to equity and considering the potential impact of differential vulnerability on foreign workers.

Methods

A retrospective evaluation was conducted on data from the DATIS/SINIACA registry, considering all Emergency Care Unit (ECU) admissions in Liguria due to workplace accidents between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2025. The victims and events were described using absolute and percentage frequencies for categorical variables and the mean and standard deviation (SD) for quantitative data. Seasonal and geographical trends were also studied. Risk ratios were calculated for specific occupational risk categories, using direct standardisation to compare different populations. The data were analysed using Stata 18 SE® software.

Results

A total of 53,382 workplace accidents were recorded during the three-year study period (2023–2025). The geographical distribution showed a higher incidence of events in the province of Genoa. Accidents occur more frequently on weekdays. A seasonal pattern was observed, with a higher number of incidents during spring and early summer, consistent with previous findings, and a peak in July. Most injured workers were male (66%), and the age group most frequently affected was 45–54 years (25.1%). Foreign nationals accounted for 17.2% of all cases.

Among Italian workers, incidence rates were 11.04, 11.26, and 10.51 per 1,000 people at risk in 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively. Age- and sex-standardized incidence rates among foreign workers, using the Italian working population as the reference population, were 17.43, 17.69, and 16.36 per 1,000 workers at risk in 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively. Foreign workers experienced a significantly higher risk of occupational injury compared with Italian workers for all the years of surveillance (2023: IRR = 1.58; 2024: IRR 1.57; 2025: IRR 1.56).

Conclusions

This study reports on the epidemiological characteristics of workplace accidents in Liguria over a three-year period. The results reveal different risk profiles for Italian and foreign citizens in relation to these events. Unfortunately, details on workplace settings and the dynamics of the accidents were unavailable. Nevertheless, such data warrant further studies to identify the reasons for these inequalities and to determine preventative measures that could be adopted to address the problem.