Using emergency department surveillance data to assess occupational injury and illness reporting by workers

Temporal trends in occupational injuries treated in US emergency departments, 2012-2019

BACKGROUND

Evidence suggests that rates of occupational injuries in the US are decreasing. As several different occupational injury surveillance systems are used in the US, more detailed investigation of this trend is merited. Furthermore, studies of this decrease remain descriptive and do not use inferential statistics. The aim of this study was to provide both descriptive and inferential statistics of temporal trends of occupational injuries treated in US emergency departments (EDs) for 2012 to 2019.

METHODS

Monthly non-fatal occupational injury rates from 2012 to 2019 were estimated using the national electronic injury surveillance system-occupational supplement (NEISS-Work) dataset, a nationally representative sample of ED-treated occupational injuries. Rates were generated for all injuries and by injury event type using monthly full-time worker equivalent (FTE) data from the US Current Population Survey as a denominator. Seasonality indices were used to detect seasonal variation in monthly injury rates. Trend analysis using linear regression adjusted for seasonality was conducted to quantify changes in injury rates from 2012 to 2019.

RESULTS

Occupational injuries occurred at an average rate of 176.2 (95% CI =  ± 30.9) per 10,000 FTE during the study period. Rates were highest in 2012 and declined to their lowest level in 2019. All injury event types occurred at their highest rate in summer months (July or August) apart from falls, slips, and trips, which occurred at their highest rate in January. Trend analyses indicated that total injury rates decreased significantly throughout the study period (- 18.5%; 95% CI =  ± 14.5%). Significant decreases were also detected for injuries associated with contact with foreign object and equipment (- 26.9%; 95% CI =  ± 10.5%), transportation incidents (- 23.2%; 95% CI =  ± 14.7%), and falls, slips, and trips (- 18.1%; 95% CI =  ± 8.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports evidence that occupational injuries treated in US EDs have decreased since 2012. Potential contributors to this decrease include increased workplace mechanization and automation, as well as changing patterns in US employment and health insurance access.

The North American Helpline initiative in Bangladesh for garment workers

INTRODUCTION

After a series of garment factory disasters that had taken place in Bangladesh, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (Alliance) was formed by 29 large North American retail companies to improve worker safety in Bangladesh- the second largest ready-made garments producing country in the world.

AIMS

This report focuses on Alliance's Worker Empowerment initiative-Worker Helpline and examines the types, contents and volume of calls received by it.

METHODS

All published reports of Alliance that are available online were retrieved. Data from each quarter (Q) in 2017, 2018, and 2019 were extracted in terms of (1) Total calls (2) Substantive calls, and (3) Safety calls (Urgent and Non-urgent).

RESULTS

By 2019, Q3 Helpline covered 1.5 million workers in 1091 factories. In Q1 2017, there was 1 call made per 73 workers and 20 calls made per a factory whereas in Q3 2019 there was 1 call per 171 workers and 8 calls coming from a factory. In terms of safety calls, there was 0.59 calls/factory in Q1 2017 but went down to 0.17 calls/factory in Q3 2019. Helpline in 2019 Q3 received 1283 substantive calls; of that 189 were safety calls which included 18 urgent and 171 non-urgent calls. In Q1 of 2017, 32% factories did not make any calls and in Q3 2019, 62% of factories did not make any calls at all.

CONCLUSIONS

The worker empowerment initiative- Helpline-in Bangladesh initiated by the North American companies remained underutilized.

Reported work-related injuries and illnesses among Hispanic workers: Results from an emergency department surveillance system follow-back survey

BACKGROUND

Research suggests Hispanic workers underreport injuries/illnesses to their employer.

METHODS

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-occupational supplement was used to conduct a follow-back study of workers treated in emergency departments (EDs) from June 2012 through December 2013.

RESULTS

An estimated 448,000 (95%CI 230,000-665,000) Hispanic workers treated in EDs for a work-related injury or illness were represented by 362 completed interviews. Of these, an estimated 443,000 (95%CI 228,000-657,000) workers reported the injury or illness to their employer or were self-employed. The majority had not heard of workers' compensation. Only 10% expected workers' compensation to cover their medical payment while 62% expected payment to be covered by their employer.

CONCLUSION

We characterized our respondent workforce who reported their injury or illness. We determined that NEISS-Work data are not the most appropriate source to capture underreporting of work-related injuries and illnesses to employers among Hispanic workers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:621-629, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Characterizing emergency department patients who reported work-related injuries and illnesses

BACKGROUND

Per a Congressional directive and funding, this study describes worker and workplace characteristics of emergency department (ED) patients who reported their injury/illness to their employer. The study also responds to Congress's request to enumerate injured/ill self-employed workers and workers with chronic conditions.

METHODS

We conducted a follow-back study on injured/ill workers, including self-employed, identified from a national ED surveillance system from June 2012 through December 2013.

RESULTS

An estimated 3,357,000 (95%CI: 2,516,000-4,199,000) workers treated in EDs reported their injury/illness to their employer or were self-employed. Of those, 202,000 (95%CI: 133,000-272,000) had a chronic condition. Of all reporters, excluding self-employed, 77% indicated they received instructions as to whom to report.

CONCLUSION

The study did not identify underreporting issues and revealed that medical records data may not be appropriate for assessing underreporting. Additional research is needed to examine workplace characteristics that encourage injury and illness reporting. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:610-620, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.