台灣曾經是舊船解體王國，但依據美國勞工部2001年公告資料——OSHA Fact Sheet，造成舊船解體工人受傷或疾病之因子為：(1)危害性物質暴露：包括石綿、多氯聯苯、鉛等。(2)危害性工作活動：侷限、封閉和有其他危險氣體的場所；金屬切割與處置；高舉作業與近甲板面和邊緣之作業；油料移除與油槽清理；船上機械之搬移與處置；操作起重機與齒輪傳動裝置；切割與焊接及使用高壓氣體；使用鷹架、梯子與相關設備之工作。(3)危害性工作條件：沒有適當的工作訓練、缺乏或使用不適當的個人護具；不當的防火措施；缺乏適當的緊急應變、救援、急救人員和措施，上述皆說明舊船解體作業場所的危險性。因此本研究目的為探討從事舊船解體工作之勞工在職災給付情形與職災主要事故分布。本研究對象選自於民國74年建立之「舊船解體業職業工會」會員名冊資料，共有4,962名曾從事舊船解體作業的勞工世代。並從南部七縣市隨機抽5倍人數，共24,810名未曾從事舊船解體作業之勞工作為對照。結果發現，60歲以下男性的世代組族群，受傷、殘障、死亡三種類別給付的平均申請次數與人數比例上皆顯著高於對照組（p<0.0001）。而在職災傷害事故原因中，在民國78年之前，為刺割擦傷（66.67％）、與有害物等之接觸（33.33％）最高。死亡事故原因中，民國78年之前主要為爆炸（33.33％）所造成；民國78年之後主要為墜落滾落（32.14％）、上下班公路交通事故（17.86％）。本研究發現舊船解體勞工即使離開高風險的作業環境，但是可能受過去拆船作業的習慣影響，使得在從事其他的勞動工作上仍然有較高的風險存在，所以對於此一族群仍然要特別重視其工業安全與衛生教育的訓練以及注意職業傷害的問題。

AbstractTaiwan had been a shipbreaking kingdom. From the late 1960s to the late 1980s,Kaohsiung wasone of the port cities which had the most shipbreaking industries in the world. Occupational Safetyand Health Administration (OSHA) mentioned that three factors affect shipbreaking workers＇ healthincluding: (1) exposure to hazard, toxic or explosive substances such as asbestos, polychlorinatedbiphenyls (PCBs), heavy metals and waste fuel released during ship demolition; (2) hazard workingactivities and (3) hazard working conditions. The aim of this study was to describe the distribution ofoccupational injuries and deaths in a shipbreaking cohort.A total of 4,962 shipbreaking workers registered under Kaohsiung Shipbreaking Workers Unionwere included in the study. The control group was randomly selected from general workers (n=24,810)in south Taiwan.The results found that shipbreaking workers had significantly higher numbers of filed claims withoccupational injuries, disabilities and deaths among under-60-year-old group (p＜0.0001). The causesof occupational injury before 1989 were stab, slash or abrasion (66.67%), and contact with hazardousmaterials (33.33%). The main cause of occupational death before 1989 was explosion (33.33%).We found that shipbreaking workers had higher risk of occupational accident when workingunder other occupations, despite having left the environment of exposure. This may be due to pastworking habit. The study provides reference for future industrial safety and health care policy onshipbreaking workers in Taiwan and other countries with shipbreaking industries.