OSHA, well past its infancy, but still learning how to count injuries and illnesses

Examination of the Contributing Factors to Fatalities in Electrical Trades Due to Contact With Electricity

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine contributing factors to fatalities in electrical occupations due to contact with electricity.

METHODS

Proportionate mortality ratios were calculated along with the Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test of significance using Occupational Safety and Health Administration data. Cross-tabulation analyses were examined by the Pearson chi-square test of independence.

RESULTS

Electricians and electrical power installers/repairers experienced significantly higher proportions of fatalities due to contact with electric current of machine, tool, or light fixture and contact with overhead power lines, respectively. Factors such as accident date, location, union status, project type, cost, electrical event, human factor, part of body, source of injury, and fatality cause, exhibited significant associations with electrical trade fatalities.

CONCLUSIONS

Fatalities in electrical occupations are attributable to increased exposures to electrical hazards during regular work activities. Strict adherence to safe work practices and procedures is critical to electrical fatality prevention.

Work Environment Factors and Prevention of Opioid-Related Deaths

Opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid overdose deaths (OODs) are prevalent among US workers, but work-related factors have not received adequate attention as either risk factors or opportunities for OOD prevention. Higher prevalence of OOD in those with heavy physical jobs, more precarious work, and limited health care benefits suggest work environment and organizational factors may predispose workers to the development of OUD.Organizational policies that reduce ergonomic risk factors, respond effectively to employee health and safety concerns, provide access to nonpharmacologic pain management, and encourage early substance use treatment are important opportunities to improve outcomes. Organizational barriers can limit disclosure of pain and help-seeking behavior, and opioid education is not effectively integrated with workplace safety training and health promotion programs.Policy development at the employer, government, and association levels could improve the workplace response to workers with OUD and reduce occupational risks that may be contributing factors.

Multisource surveillance for non-fatal work-related agricultural injuries

Objectives: Development of a state-wide comprehensive surveillance system for non-fatal work-related farm injuries, since non-fatal injuries that occur to the self-employed (i.e., many farm owners/operators), family workers, federal government workers and small farms with fewer than 11 employees are not included in the Bureau of Labor Statistics employer-based survey used to produce the U.S. National statistics of work-related injuries.Methods: In 2015 and 2016, inpatient discharge summaries, emergency department, and hospital-based outpatient clinic records from all 134 of Michigan's hospitals with ICD-9 codes 989.0-.1, E827.0-.9, E849.1, E906.8, E919.0 or ICD-10 codesT65.0-.1, V80, Y92.7, W55.1-.4, W30 were reviewed to identify non-fatal work-related farm injuries.Results: We identified 1,559 non-fatal work-related farm injury incidents that occurred in 1,525 individuals, with 74% being among men. The most common parts of the body injured were an upper limb (38.2%) and a lower limb (23.7%). The most common types of injury were contusions (26.4%) and fractures (19.9%). Owners/operators accounted for 44.1% and hired hands for 42.9% of individuals injured. Injuries caused by cows were the predominant cause: 472 (31.5%) of all the injuries. Dairy farms accounted for 39.6% of all cases for which the farm type was recorded.Conclusion: A comprehensive system to identify non-fatal work-related farm injuries among all individuals who work on a farm, including owner/operators, family members and migrant and seasonal farm laborers, was implemented using hospital, emergency department and hospital-based outpatient clinic medical records. Such a system is important to be able to identify hazards and target prevention.

Multi-source surveillance for work-related crushing injuries

BACKGROUND

Work-related crushing injuries are serious but preventable. For 2013 through 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) reported 1260 crushing injuries in Michigan. In 2013, Michigan initiated multi-data source surveillance of work-related crushing injuries.

METHODS

Records from all 134 of Michigan's hospitals/emergency departments (EDs), the Workers Compensation Agency (WCA) and Michigan's Fatality Assessment Control and Evaluation (MIFACE) program were used to identify work-related crushing injuries. Companies, where individuals were hospitalized or had an ED visit for a crushing injury, potentially had an OSHA enforcement inspection conducted.

RESULTS

From 2013 through 2015, there were 3137 work-related crushing injury incidents, including two fatalities. The Michigan OSHA program completed inspections at 77 worksites identified by the surveillance system.

CONCLUSION

The Michigan multisource surveillance system identified two and a half times more crushing injuries than BLS and was useful for initiating case-based enforcement inspections.