Use of a national hospitalization register to identify industrial sectors carrying high risk of severe injuries: a three-year cohort study of more than 900,000 Danish men

Occupational demands and health effects for bricklayers and construction supervisors: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

knowledge was gathered on occupational demands and health effects of two occupations in the construction industry, bricklayers and supervisors, in order to design a job-specific workers' health surveillance (WHS) for construction workers.

METHODS

we systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, HSELINE, NIOSHTIC-2, and Picarta up to December 2008.

RESULTS

a total of 60 articles were included. Evidence was found for the following demands for bricklayers: energetic load (exceeding 25% heart rate reserve), load on the lower back (exceeding the NIOSH-threshold value of 3.4 kN), repetitive force exertions of the upper extremities, frequent bending with trunk flexion exceeding 60° and working with the arms more than 60° elevated. Environmental demands include: dust and quartz exposure (exceeding the limit values of 3.0 and 0.05 mg/m(3), respectively), vibration and noise (exceeding the limit value of 80 dBA). Bricklayers are at increased risk of lung cancer, low back pain, complaints of arms and legs and getting injuries. Among construction supervisors are walking and standing common physically demanding activities. Psychosocial demands with evidence for supervisors were mental demands, workload, time pressure, working long hours, and social-organizational factors. Supervisors are at increased risk of lung cancer and injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

for bricklayers evidence was found for physical demands and risk on low back pain and complaints of arms and legs, for construction supervisors on psychosocial demands. Both occupations are at increased risk of lung cancer and injuries. Job-specific demands and health effects should be incorporated in WHS for construction workers.

Social inequalities in injury occurrence and in disability retirement attributable to injuries: a 5 year follow-up study of a 2.1 million gainfully employed people

Background

Inequalities in injury related disability retirement may be due to differences in injury risk and or differences in retirement given injury. The aim of the present study was to measure social inequalities in injury occurrence and injury related disability retirement.

Methods

All people in the Danish labour force aged 20–59 years 1 January 1997 were followed for injury related hospital contacts during 1997 and all people in the Danish labour force aged 21–54 years 1 January 1998 were followed for injury related hospital contacts during 1997 and for disability retirements during 1998–2002. As inequality indices we used excess fractions (EF) i.e. the proportions of the cases that would not have occurred if the risks in each social group had been as low as they were in the occupational group with the highest skill requirements.

Results

With regard to the risk that an injury will occur, the EF was 36% among men and 10% among women. With regard to the risk that an injury will lead to disability retirement, the EF was 43% among men and 47% among women. The combined effect of the two types of inequalities rendered an EF for injury related disability retirement of 64% among men and 53% among women. The correlation between the case disability rate ratios among men and those among women was low (r = -0.110, P = 0.795).

Conclusion

The social inequality in injury related disability retirement lies only to some degree in the differences in the injury risk. More important are differences in the consequences of an injury. This was especially pronounced among the women.

Empowerment como forma de prevenção de problemas de saúde em trabalhadores de abatedouros

O objetivo do artigo foi ressaltar a necessidade de esforços educativos que visem ao empowerment de funcionários de abatedouros, baseado nos principais problemas de saúde por eles enfrentados. A rotina em abatedouros consiste em tarefas estressantes e cansativas. As conseqüências incluem problemas músculo-esqueléticos, transmissão de zoonoses, problemas de pele e acidentes com materiais pérfuro-cortantes e animais. Esses trabalhadores geralmente não são especializados, não têm controle sobre suas tarefas, e podem não estar conscientes dos determinantes que afetam sua saúde. Os veterinários são geralmente responsáveis pela rotina de trabalho nesses locais e conhecem os riscos à saúde que a execução dessas tarefas representam. Portanto, esses profissionais poderiam participar mais ativamente na educação para o empowerment dos trabalhadores e não se concentrarem apenas em questões referentes à segurança alimentar.

Prospective analysis of disability retirement as a consequence of injuries in a labour force population

The aim of the present work was to investigate the influence of different types of injury on the risk for disability retirement among economically active people in Denmark.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In this prospective study, all people in the Danish labour force aged 21-54 years 1 January 1997 (N = 2 211 057) were followed for disability retirement during 1997-2001. Age and gender standardised incidence ratios (SIR) were calculated to compare retirement rates among those who received treatment for an injury during 1996 (N = 252 468, including both work-related and non-work related types) with the rates in the total labour force. Life-table methodology was used to calculate years of lost economically active life (YLEAL) by injury type.

RESULTS

Among the injured people we observed a total number of 5580 cases of subsequent disability retirement and 45% of these could be statistically attributed to the injury. The SIR for disability retirement by injury type ranged from 1.38 to 7.00. The least severe types, superficial injuries and dislocations, sprains, and strains, were most prevalent and generated the highest numbers of YLEALs.

CONCLUSION

The high frequency of injuries and their influence on retirement rates suggest that injury prevention is a highly relevant approach to reduce future costs from disability retirement. YLEAL calculations can be used to set priorities.

Industrial sectors with high risk of women's hospital-treated injuries

BACKGROUND

Women's occupational injury rates are converging with those of males. Associations between female workers' hospital treated injury rates, industrial sector and injured body area were analyzed to provide for better-focused injury prevention of women's hazardous jobs.

METHODS

Females' standardized hospital treatment ratios (SHR) and the excess fraction for five body regions (head/neck, thorax, back, upper and lower extremities) were calculated for 58 industrial sectors for 1999-2003.

RESULTS

Five industrial sectors, "Cleaning, laundries and dry cleaners," "Transport of passengers," "Hotels and restaurants," "Hospitals" and "Transport of goods" had significantly high SHRs for all five body regions. The excess fraction for upper extremity injuries revealed that 14%-27% of injuries could theoretically have been avoided.

CONCLUSIONS

There is strong evidence for an association between women's hospital treated injuries and industrial sector. The results justify the need for gender-sensitive analyses to orient injury prevention programs.