Frequently Asked Questions : HASS and LASS
Q. What are HASS and LASS?
Q. Why were HASS/LASS set up?
Q. Does HASS/LASS include every home and leisure accident that took place in the UK during the recording year?
Q. Are home and leisure accident statistics still being collected?
Q. Is the whole HASS/LASS database available to search over the Web?
Q. What sort of home and leisure accident information can I search for on the web database?
Q. How many years' data can I search on the HASS/LASS web database?
Q. Will I be able to see details of accidents rather than just statistics?
Q. Is it possible for you to provide date-based information such as the number of accidents that take place on Christmas day each year?
Q. Can I obtain regional accident data from you?
Q. How are the national estimates reached from the sample data?
Q. How do I search the web database?
Q. I would like more information. Who should I ask?
Introduction and explanation of HASS/LASS
Q. What are HASS and LASS?
A. HASS - the Home Accident Surveillance System - and LASS - the Leisure Accident Surveillance System - are two linked databases holding details of home and leisure accidents that caused a serious enough injury to warrant a visit to hospital. They do not include road or workplace accidents.
Q. Why were HASS/LASS set up?
A. The aim of HASS and LASS is to gain an in-depth understanding of how and why home and leisure accidents occur so that interventions can be put into place to prevent them happening in future.
Both HASS and LASS focus on consumer products that are involved in accidents along with a wealth of information on a wide range of behavioural factors.
Each record on the database includes the following:
- Details of the person who had the accident, including age and sex.
- Details of the accident itself
- The circumstances surrounding the accident
- The injury or injuries caused by the accident
- The involvement of products or articles in the accident
The identity of accident victims is confidential and will never be released.
Q. Does HASS/LASS include every home and leisure accident that took place in the UK during the recording year?
A. No. The data is taken from a sample of 16-18 accident and emergency departments in the UK and national estimates are then calculated using multipliers set for each data year. The smaller the number of HASS/LASS cases for a particular combination of variables, the less statistical confidence we have in the national estimate derived from it.
Q. Are home and leisure accident statistics still being collected?
A. On 2nd May 2003 it was announced that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) would no longer fund the collection and publication of HASS/LASS data. To ensure that the existing data will continue to be made available to users, a complete copy of the database has been handed over to RoSPA. RoSPA's Information Centre began to answer all incoming HASS/LASS enquiries from 1st January 2004, and will continue to operate this service for five years.
HASS/LASS Web database
Q. Is the whole HASS/LASS database available to search over the Web?
A. The complete HASS/LASS databases contain over 6.8 million accident records that have been collected over 20 years, synthesising 30 different fields of information. It would not have been practical to make the whole database available to search. Some of the fields would also be prohibited from public use because of privacy and data protection considerations.
The decision was made to web enable a subset of the whole database by including the most commonly requested fields for users to search independently. The RoSPA Information Centre may be able to help you with further information if the detail you require is not included on the web database.
Q. What sort of home and leisure accident information can I search for on the web database?
A. You may search and combine data from the following fields:
- Body part affected by the accident
- Location of accident
- Injury sustained
- Accident mechanism, such as fall or poisoning
- Articles or products involved in the accident
- Sex of the victim
- Age of the victim
- Activity
Q. How many years' data can I search on the HASS/LASS web database?
A. Data from 2000, 2001 and 2002 is available to view on the web. The whole HASS/LASS database goes back to 1978, and you would need to contact RoSPA's Information Centre, infocentre@rospa.com, for this data.
Q. Will I be able to see details of accidents rather than just statistics?
A. The HASS/LASS web database does not allow you to read details of individual accidents. To obtain this information you would need to contact the Information Centre who can provide de-personalised case summaries, in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection Act.
Q. Is it possible for you to provide date-based information such as the number of accidents that take place on Christmas day each year?
A. No. Unfortunately not all of the data records contain the full date and therefore any estimates of accidents would be inaccurate. We are able to provide a breakdown of accident data by month. Please contact the Information Centre for further details.
Q. Can I obtain regional accident data from you?
A. No. The HASS/LASS data is derived from a sample of admissions to 16-18 hospital accident and emergency departments, so there is no way of providing regional/county data, only national estimates. For the same reason, data cannot be supplied individually for Wales, Scotland, England or Northern Ireland. Only an overall UK estimate can be provided.
Q. How are the national estimates reached from the sample data?
A. Once the sample data had been taken from the 16-18 HASS/LASS hospitals, they were converted into national figures using an equation that converts the total attendances at the sample hospitals into an estimate of the total attendances at all hospitals across the country.
The smaller the number of HASS/LASS cases for a particular combination of variables, the less statistical confidence there is in the national estimate derived from it.
Q. How do I search the web database?
A. Please see our separate online user guide for full details and sample searches.
Q. I would like more information. Who should I ask?
A. Please contact RoSPA's Information Centre in the following ways:
Email: infocentre@rospa.com
Tel: 0121 248 2066
Fax: 0121 248 2001
Post:
Information Centre
RoSPA
Edgbaston Park
353 Bristol Road
Birmingham
B5 7ST
Media enquirers may contact RoSPA's Press Office for tailored data or case summaries:
Email: rvincent@rospa.com
Tel: 0121 248 2134
Fax: 0121 248 2001
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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