Injuries at Work and Social Class

Irish society is, officially, divided into social classes.

This happens in the Central Statistics Office. Class is based on occupation. As ever, notions like this easily go out of date. (Builders are in Social Class 1; time to revise that!)

What does not go out of date is an underlying feature of employment; the incidence of injury in work and its relationship with occupation and, therefore, social class.

Undoubtedly, the CSO has this information now (for years the State avoided collecting it) but it is not published. It should be.

There is no doubt that there is a relationship between occupation and injury and death. Common sense suggests it, but the State has acknowledged it in the Report of the Working Party on The General Medical Service.

Here are the social classes;

Social Class 1:

Higher Professional, Higher Managerial, Proprietors and Farmers farming 200 or more acres:- Builders and contractors self-employed, with employees; Publicans, wine merchants, off-licence proprietors etc. self-employed with employees; Legislative officials and Government administrators; Engineers; Architects; Medical Practitioners;

Social Class 2:

Lower Professional, Lower Managerial, Proprietors and Farmers farming 100-199 acres; Market gardeners and nurserymen holding land; Interior decorating consultants and designers; Publicans etc. without employees; Insurance Agents; Auctioneers;

Social Class 3:

Other Non-Manual and Farmers farming 50-99 acres; Foremen and supervisors of manual workers; Typists and key-punch operators; Warehouse and despatch clerks; Commercial travelers and manufacturers’ agents; Chefs and cooks; Photographers and camera operators

Social Class 4:

Skilled Manual and Farmers farming 30-49 acres; Fishermen etc.; Mine and quarry workers; Linesmen and cable jointers; Motor mechanics; Welders and cutters; Cabinet makers;

Social Class 5:

Semi-skilled Manual and Farmers farming less than 30 acres; Forestry labourers and workers; Turf workers, excluding bog labourers; Bicycle repairers and mechanics; Boot and shoe makers (factory); Knitters and knitting/hosiery machine operators; Makers of paper and paperboard; Dock labourers;

Social Class 6:

Unskilled Manual; Agricultural labourers; Groundsmen, gardeners (unskilled) and gardeners’ labourers; Bog labourers; Lorry drivers’ helpers; Messengers; Charwomen and cleaners;