In Turkey, the construction sector is responsible for the largest number of work-related fatalities among all industries. This study's objective is to determine the characteristics of the fatalities in the construction sector in Kocaeli Province. The study was carried out retrospectively by investigating the records of occupational deaths between 1990 and 2001 in the Kocaeli District of Turkey. Fatal occupational injuries in the construction sector were investigated in detail by evaluating the records. The analysis was based on data from 153 deaths. The incidence of occupational injuries was found overall to be 4.5% in Kocaeli, while the annual mortality rate was 60.4 in Kocaeli and 79.0 in Turkey per 100,000 workers over the entire time period. On the other hand, the fatality rate of occupational injuries was found to be 12.0 per 1,000 in Turkey and 6.4 per 1,000 in Kocaeli. The evaluation of the type of injuries in construction sector has revealed that in 69 of cases (45.1%) fell down from high altitude, in 22 cases (14.4%) vehicle accident, and in 22 (14.4%) electrocution were the cause of death. The leading causes of death have been found to be blunt-force trauma (37.9%) and head trauma (25.5%). Fourty one percent of those who had occupational accidents have had less than one year work experience. Only in 7.8% of deaths, the cause was determined through an autopsy.

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These negative cognitions should be taken into consideration when therapeutic interventions are planned on individuals with suicidal thoughts.

The authors evaluated occupational accidents in Kocaeli, Turkey, using epidemiologic criteria. Data were derived from the registries of the service on Occupational Injuries and Diseases of the Social Insurance Institution's District Authority in Kocaeli. The analysis was based on data from 387 deaths. The rates of occupational injuries and mortality and fatalities from them were 5.1%, 30.6 per 100,000 workers, and 6.0%, respectively, compared with 2.8%, 35.2 per 100.000 workers, and 12.7% in Turkey. Sectors with the highest rates of fatal occupational injuries were construction (30.2%), transportation (13.2%), basic metal industry (9.0%), manufacturing of metal products (5.9%), and heating with electricity, gas, and steam (5.9%). 38.2% of these workers were 25-34 years old. Nearly all were male, most were married, and three fourths had children. Of all deaths due to occupational injuries, 121 (31.3%) were caused by traffic injuries, 93 (24.1%) by falling from high places, and 43 (11.1%) by electrocution; 89% occurred at workplaces, 42% of the workplaces were small, and 45.9% of the deceased workers had been working there for less than three months. Although the situation was better than that in the rest of Turkey in terms of epidemiologic criteria, the death rates, as in other developing countries, are higher than those in the world in general.