Article 5 USING CORONER’S NARRATIVE DATA TO IDENTIFY WORK-RELATED ROAD-TRAFFIC FATALITIES IN

International research shows that the true extent of work-related road traffic deaths is not reflected in official statistics because of limitations in data collection systems. In Ireland, and other countries, it is difficult to ascertain how many road traffic collisions involve persons at work; however, it is known that many employees drive for a living, work close to public roads, and are at risk as pedestrians and as passengers in vehicles in the course of their work. Road transport is the dominant mode of moving goods in Ireland (about 93%) and is likely to remain so. The aim of this study was to explore the differences in the work-related road traffic fatality data collected by different agencies in one administrative geographical area (a county), in the Republic of Ireland. The study explored the differences over three years (2002-2004), with three national datasets: the County’s coronial road traffic records; fatality data from the national Health and Safety Authority; and the National Roads Authority dataset. Narrative data in 45 road traffic coronial files were examined, and classified (independently by 2 researchers) as: worker death, by-stander death, death with worker involvement, or not work-related. Cases were matched with data in the other datasets. Eighteen percent of the 45 road traffic fatalities identified in the coroner’s data placed the victim either at work or killed as a result of another person’s work activity (by-stander). When ‘worker-involvement ’ cases are included, 36 % of the fatal road traffic incidents directly or indirectly involved at least one person who was at work. Results revealed flaws in the work-related death data capture system, which result in failure to capture occupational road fatalities, and underestimation of the extent of the problem. Use of narrative coroner data facilitated identification of cases of work-related death and highlighted the need for occupational road risk prevention strategies