Mexico

Organization responsible for the statistics

Collection: Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social (STPS) (Secretariat for Labour and Social Security), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) (Mexican Institute for Social Security), Instituto de Seguridad Social y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE) (Social Security and Social Services Institute for State Workers) and Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX).

Compilation and publication: Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social (STPS).

Periodicity

Compilation: Every four months and annual.

Publication: Biannual.

Source

IMSS: Occupational injury (riesgos de trabajo) insurance;

ISSSTE: Information concerning awarded compensation;

PEMEX: Follow-up of occupational injuries;

STPS: Reports submitted by enterprises.

Objectives and users

Major users:

Coverage

Persons:

In 1994, an average of 11.7 million workers were exposed to the risk of occupational injury.

Economic activities:

Geographic areas:

The statistics do not include nationals working abroad or persons normally residing outside the country.

Establishments:

Other:

Types of occupational accidents covered

All types of occupational injuries including commuting accidents and occupational diseases.

The statistics compiled by the STPS include occupational diseases.

Concepts and definitions

Occupational accident:

any immediate or subsequent physical injury or functional disturbance, or death, occurring suddenly and arising out of or in the course of work, regardless of the time and place in which it occurred (Section 474).

Occupational injury:

(riesgos de trabajo): accident or disease to which workers are exposed, arising out of or in the course of work (Section 473). Type of occupational injury: indicates whether the injury resulted from an occupational accident, commuting accident or occupational disease.

Commuting accident:

an accident that occurs while a worker is travelling directly from his residence to his place of work, or from his place of work to his residence (Section 474).

Days lost because of incapacity:

the number of working days missed by a worker - and covered by the institution - as the result of an occupational injury.

Fatal occupational injury:

the cessation of all vital functions of a person as the result of an occupational injury.

Temporary incapacity to work:

the loss of faculty that partially or totally prevents a person from performing his job for some length of time (Section 478).

Permanent incapacity to work:

1. permanent partial incapacity: the reduction of a person's faculty or ability to perform work (Section 479).
2. permanent total incapacity: the loss of a person's faculty or ability to perform any kind of work for the rest of his life (Section 480).

Unsafe act:

an improper action committed by a worker (failure to comply with, or violation of a procedure or measure commonly accepted as safe), causing him to suffer the contingencies of an occupational injury, or causing a co-worker to suffer a contingency as a result of his attitude.

Minimum period of absence from work: one day.

Maximum period for death to be considered a fatal occupational injury: not applicable.

Types of information compiled

(a) personal characteristics of persons injured: five-year age groups;

(b) amount of worktime lost: number of days of temporary incapacity, and temporary and permanent incapacity;

(c) characteristics of accidents: type of accident and unsafe act;

(d) characteristics of injuries: type of injury, part of body injured, type of incapacity and type of disease;

(e) characteristics of employers or workplaces: economic activity.

Measurement of worktime lost

Information is compiled on the number of days of temporary incapacity by type of injury (occupational accident, commuting accident or occupational disease).

Worktime lost is measured only for cases of temporary incapacity.

Temporary absences of less than one day are not included.

Classifications

(b) extent of disability;

(c) economic activity:

(d) occupation: not applicable;

(e) type of injury:

type of injury: fractures, dislocations, sprains and strains, concussions and other internal injuries, amputations and enucleations, wounds, superficial injuries, contusions and crushings, burns, poisonings, other and unspecified injuries;

part of body injured: head and face (excluding injuries to the eye, orbit and optic nerve), eye (including injuries to orbit and optic nerve), trunk (excluding injuries to chest and spinal column), chest (including injuries to internal organs of the chest), spinal column (including injuries to the back), upper limb (excluding hand), hand, lower limb (excluding foot), foot, general injuries (including multiple injuries and poisonings), other general injuries, unspecified;

(f) cause of accident:

(g) duration of absence from work;

(h) characteristics of workers;

(i) characteristics of accidents:

(j) characteristics of employers or workplaces:

Crossclassifications are used.

Reference period

Occupational injuries are included in the statistics for the period in which they were incurred.

Worktime lost is recorded in each of the periods in which worktime was lost.

Estimates

Percentage distributions.

Rates of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries per thousand workers exposed to risk.

Historical background of the series

The purpose of compiling the statistics was to establish a data base in support of studies, projects and programmes aimed at establishing standards and measures to prevent occupational injuries.

The Anuario Estadístico de Riesgos de Trabajo, 1983-1992 was modified in December 1993 by deleting tables relating to the type of accident and agency of the injury, as well as percentage tables. In the July 1995 publication, which covers the period 1985-1994, a single table was used to present information on the consequences of occupational accidents, commuting accidents and occupational diseases, and six new tables were added: one on occupational diseases, two on permanent incapacity, and three pertaining to fatalities.

With respect to the Informe Estadístico Cuatrimestral de Riesgos de Trabajo, the first report (for the period from January-April 1990) was published in January 1991. The report published in October 1994 includes 19 tables (as opposed to 13 previously) beginning with the period January-April 1994. The tables included are listed below.

1. Occupational injuries by:
   • economic activity;
   • five-year age groups;
   • unsafe act;
   • part of body injured;
   • type of injury;
2. Occupational accidents, by type of accident.

Documentation

Series available:

Workers exposed and occupational injuries, by type of injury.

Occupational injuries, by:

• federated entity;
• economic activity;
• five-year age groups;
• unsafe act;
• part of body injured;
• type of injury.

Occupational accidents, by:

• federated entity;
• type of accident.

Commuting accidents, by federated entity.

Occupational diseases, by:

• federated entity;
• economic activity;
• type of disease.

Number of days of temporary incapacity, permanent incapacity and fatality, by type of injury.

Permanent incapacity resulting from occupational injuries, by:

• federated entity;
• economic activity;

Fatalities, by period of occurrence and type of injury.

Fatalities resulting from occupational injuries, by:

• federated entity;
• economic activity.

Bibliographic references:

Comisión Consultiva Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo: Anuario Estadístico de Riesgos de Trabajo (annual).

idem: Informe Estadístico Cuatrimestral de Riesgos de Trabajo (four-monthly).

Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social, Subsecretaría B: Estadísticas Laborales (six-monthly). The methodology for statistics on occupational injuries was published in 1992 in a single document and based on the proceedings of the Subcomisión de Información Estadística (SIE), which is attached to the Comisión Consultiva Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo (CCNSHT). It contains objectives, strategies and guidelines for classifying statistical data, classification criteria, nomenclature, basic definitions and categories, as well as its main characteristics. It is not a periodical publication since it is for internal use in the work of the CCNSHT and is only updated on the basis of changes proposed by members of the SIE.

The statistical report contains all data submitted to the SIE by the four information systems concerned.

Statistics on occupational injuries are also available on diskette, in EXCEL format.

Data published by ILO:

Confidentiality:

International standards

Representatives from the public, private and social sectors participated in the revision of concepts, definitions and methods used to compile statistics.

Method of data collection

Legislation:

Reporting:

Data reported:

Changes planned:

Additional information

Notification system:

The notification system is governed by the Ley Federal del Trabajo, Section 504, Paragraph V, and the Reglamento General de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo, Section 225. Occupational accidents, commuting accidents, occupational diseases, and fatalities resulting from occupational injuries are reported. The time limit for notifying the competent authority is 72 hours after the accident, or following detection of the disease. Employers must report occupational accidents and diseases to the authorities responsable for labour matters. Written notification is addressed to the Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social, Coordinación General de Políticas, Estudios y Estadísticas del Trabajo. Information path: a worker who has an occupational accident contacts the corresponding social security institute to obtain confirmation that the accident is indeed considered an occupational injury (MT-1 format), which he then delivers to his employer, who, in turn, sends notification of the accident to the competent authority. Official forms for reporting injuries are available, but there are no instructions or guidelines for notification. No changes in the notification system are planned.

Information reported includes:

1. information about the enterprise: name, firm name or official designation; federal registers; address (street, external number, internal number, telephone number, postal code); federated entity, municipality, locality; line of business or activity; workplace (branch name, unit, plant, etc.); address; federated entity, municipality and locality; IMSS register of employers;
2. information about the injured person: federal registers of principals; name; address (street, external number, internal number, telephone number, postal code); civil status (married, single, divorced, widowed, or common-law marriage); sex; age on last birthday; last year of schooling successfully completed; length of service in post (years and months); length of service in the enterprise (years and months); injured person's occupation or usual duties; occupation held at time of accident; number of persons economically dependent upon worker; department worker belongs to; type of worker (specify: regular, temporary, management, etc.); daily wage; class of insurance (specify: IMSS, ISSSTE, enterprise insurance); insurance code;
3. damages resulting from the accident: in the case of material damages, these are estimated in dollars; part of body injured; type of injury (fracture, burn, etc.); general description of injury; whether the worker missed one or more days as a result of the accident (yes or no);
4. time and place of the accident: federated entity and municipality; location or department where the accident occurred; date, day of the week; exact time of the accident; shift in which the accident occurred (morning, evening, or night); hour of the shift in which the accident occurred; hours worked before the accident;
5. information about the accident: accident number (sequential number assigned by the enterprise to accidents as they occur over the course of the year); boilers and pressure vessels, tools, mechanical power transmissions, working surfaces, vehicles, electrical equipment, chemical substances, animal substances, miscellaneous substances, other (specify); cause of the accident: explosion, fire or both, contact with electric current, fall of the worker, harmed by falling objects, harmed by animals, striking against objects or struck by objects, struck by a vehicle, collision of vehicles, contact, inhalation, absorption or ingestion of chemical, toxic and/or corrosive substances, particle emissions, other (specify); unsafe act: failure to use protective equipment, operating without permission, failure to take precautions, disabling safety devices, repairing power-driven equipment or moving equipment, improper use of equipment, assuming unsafe positions or attitudes, operating at improper speeds, improper handling of materials, no unsafe act, other (specify); unsafe condition: lack of preventive notices, product leakage, dispersed materials, agency in improper condition, improper safety devices, improper lighting and/or ventilation, unsafe mechanical or physical conditions, improper clothing or accessories, no unsafe condition, others; personal unsafeness factor: improper attitude, lack of knowledge, physical or mental defects, other; predominant factor of the accident: agency, location or equipment, environment, condition or climate; staff: unable, uninformed, unwilling, distracted, joking; whether the injured person was in an abnormal state, (specify whether sick, inebriated, under the influence of drugs, etc.); whether the injured person was using adequate protective equipment (yes, no, complete, incomplete); specify how the accident occurred; type of incapacity: temporary, permanent partial, permanent total, death, no incapacity or unknown;
6. general information: name of person who administered first aid to the injured person; whether there is a physician in the enterprise (yes or no); whether there were any witnesses to the accident; if so, what were their posts; place where injured person was sent, measures taken to avoid future accidents;
7. other: observations, place and date when the data was submitted, name and signature of person authorized to provide data, and of members of joint committee on safety and hygiene (employers' representatives and workers' representatives);
8. additional information to the occupational accidents report: federated entity where accident occurred, date; name, designation or firm name; federal registers of the entreprise, branch or industrial activity; name of injured person; federal registers of the injured persons; incapacity (specify whether temporary, permanent partial, permanent total, or death; number of workdays lost as a result of accident; expenditure for treatment; wages received by injured person for workdays lost; amount of compensation (paid by the enterprise or by the insurance scheme); funeral expenses, in the case of fatal injuries.