Link between haste and occupational injury.

BACKGROUND: It is claimed that haste has increased in modern work life. Only a few studies on professional drivers show that haste increases the risk of occupational injury.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between haste and occupational injury in a large, representative sample of Finnish employees.

METHODS: The material comes from the Finnish National Work and Health, which have been carried every three years since 1977. The final study group included 12 926 currently working employees, aged 25 to 64. The data were collected through computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI).

RESULTS: Employees who worked in haste rather or very often (25%) were involved in occupational injuries significantly more often than those working in haste less often (8%, p < 0.001). Constant interruptions increased the risk of occupational injury (OR = 12.06, 95% CI 8.48 to 17.16). Experiencing very much stress at work was also connected to occupational injury (OR = 2.80, 95% CI 1.13 to 6.95). Feeling negative emotions at work was related to haste (OR = 3.53, 95% CI 1.54 to 8.11).

CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a correlation between haste and occupational injuries. It focused on the participants' need to hurry in order to get their job finished. However, the way in which different individuals experienced haste varied.