Fatal home accidents--a product database

A computer-based "Home Accident Deaths Database" has been developed to permit analysis of the consumer products and articles or features of the home involved in fatal domestic accidents in England and Wales. It makes use of information already recorded for other purposes, which is either manually coded or converted by computer to a standard format. Rapid interrogation and analysis (in the form of tables or easily readable case listings) is possible, and the format of the database permits direct comparison with statistics for nonfatal hospital-treated accidents recorded by the Home Accident Surveillance System. Such comparison reveals considerable differences between the products and articles most frequently involved in fatal accidents and those most common in nonfatal cases, so that neither provides an adequate indication of hazards on its own. There are some limitations, including a variation in the level of detail recorded between different types of accident, less than perfect matching of sources for deaths in fires, and a long delay in getting cases onto the database, but with the experience that has now been gained it is hoped to develop a new reporting system that will overcome these problems and will, additionally, cover "leisure" accidents.