[Hands well - all's well : Prevention campaign of the Austrian General Accident Insurance Institution (AUVA) to reduce hand injuries]. / Hände gut ­ Alles gut : Die Präventionskampagne der österreichischen Allgemeinen Unfallversicherungsanstalt (AUVA) zur Reduzierung von Handverletzungen.

Overall, 41% of all work-related accidents lead to a hand injury. In the younger generation, the incidence rate even rises to 50%. In Austria, these accidents result in approximately half a million sick leave days per annum, an average of 12.5 days per accident. In comparison, leisure-time hand injuries show a significantly higher accident rate: 60% of hand injuries occur during leisure time. Far fewer safety measures are taken and a lack of adequate training and a disregard for safety recommendations are observed.This large number of hand injuries led to the launch of a campaign in Austria in 2014-2015 called "Hände gut - Alles Gut", (Hands well - all's well). This campaign was aimed at reducing the costs, a sum of 309 million Euros, incurred solely from work-related hand accidents, by at least 5-10%.These exorbitantly high costs are not only due to severe hand trauma, most result from a multitude of slight and superficial wounds.

[Prevention of hand injuries - current situation in Europe]. / Prävention von Handverletzungen - Aktueller Stand in Europa.

Hand injuries are a frequent occurrence and account for 41% of all occupational injuries. In general such accidents are the result of stress, inattention, tiredness, use of defective or poorly maintained machinery. However, artention must equally be directed at the large number of accidents occurring in leisure time activities since the inability to work due to a leisure time accident is similarly cost-intensive. Throughout Europe attempts have been made in the past 10 years to improve prevention. At the initiative of the Hand Trauma Committee (HTC) of FESSH prevention conferences were stated in 2009. These have in part reduced the number of hand injuries in -Europe. In Austria a special controlling committee was founded by the Austrian Workers' Compensation Board (AUVA) with the specific objective of reducing the number of hand injuries. Similarly the "Circle for Leisure Time Hand Injury Prevention" was created to specifically deal with hand injuries occurring during leisure time activities. Through the cooperation of these 2 committees and implementation of the thus decided measures, a reduction in the number of accidents involving the hand is to be expected with a concomitant reduction in the associated costs.