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Márquez-Sánchez S, Campero-Jurado I, Herrera-Santos J, Rodríguez S, Corchado JM. Intelligent Platform Based on Smart PPE for Safety in Workplaces. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21144652. [PMID: 34300392 PMCID: PMC8309589 DOI: 10.3390/s21144652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
It is estimated that we spend one-third of our lives at work. It is therefore vital to adapt traditional equipment and systems used in the working environment to the new technological paradigm so that the industry is connected and, at the same time, workers are as safe and protected as possible. Thanks to Smart Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and wearable technologies, information about the workers and their environment can be extracted to reduce the rate of accidents and occupational illness, leading to a significant improvement. This article proposes an architecture that employs three pieces of PPE: a helmet, a bracelet and a belt, which process the collected information using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques through edge computing. The proposed system guarantees the workers’ safety and integrity through the early prediction and notification of anomalies detected in their environment. Models such as convolutional neural networks, long short-term memory, Gaussian Models were joined by interpreting the information with a graph, where different heuristics were used to weight the outputs as a whole, where finally a support vector machine weighted the votes of the models with an area under the curve of 0.81.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Márquez-Sánchez
- BISITE Research Group, University of Salamanca, Calle Espejo s/n, Edificio Multiusos I+D+i, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (J.H.-S.); (S.R.); (J.M.C.)
- Air Institute, IoT Digital Innovation Hub (Spain), 37188 Salamanca, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-685-043-554
| | - Israel Campero-Jurado
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands;
| | - Jorge Herrera-Santos
- BISITE Research Group, University of Salamanca, Calle Espejo s/n, Edificio Multiusos I+D+i, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (J.H.-S.); (S.R.); (J.M.C.)
| | - Sara Rodríguez
- BISITE Research Group, University of Salamanca, Calle Espejo s/n, Edificio Multiusos I+D+i, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (J.H.-S.); (S.R.); (J.M.C.)
| | - Juan M. Corchado
- BISITE Research Group, University of Salamanca, Calle Espejo s/n, Edificio Multiusos I+D+i, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (J.H.-S.); (S.R.); (J.M.C.)
- Air Institute, IoT Digital Innovation Hub (Spain), 37188 Salamanca, Spain
- Department of Electronics, Information and Communication, Faculty of Engineering, Osaka Institute of Technology, Osaka 535-8585, Japan
- Faculty of Creative Technology & Heritage, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Locked Bag 01, Bachok, Kota Bharu 16300, Kelantan, Malaysia
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Meng X, Zhai H, Chan AHS. Development of Scales to Measure and Analyse the Relationship of Safety Consciousness and Safety Citizenship Behaviour of Construction Workers: An Empirical Study in China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16081411. [PMID: 31010171 PMCID: PMC6517905 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16081411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
China's construction industry has experienced a long period of development and reform but compared to developed countries, safety on construction sites in China continues to present serious problems. Safety consciousness and safety citizenship behaviour are influential factors related to safety issues in the construction industry and may play a direct role in improving the safety of personnel on construction sites. However, recently no research has been focused on the relationship between safety consciousness and safety citizenship behaviour. Therefore, this paper aimed to investigate the relationship between safety consciousness and safety citizenship behaviour for personnel working on construction sites in China by using a questionnaire survey and statistical analysis, so that correlation between safety consciousness and safety citizenship can be demonstrated and effective measures suggested to improve the safety of construction workers in China, and perhaps in other countries as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangcheng Meng
- School of System Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Huaiyuan Zhai
- School of Economics and Engineering Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China.
| | - Alan H S Chan
- School of System Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Abstract
: The role of the corporate medical director (CMD) has evolved over the last 300 years since Ramazzini first identified diseases of Italian workers in the early 1700s. Since then, there has been a gradual blurring of the boundaries between private and workplace health concerns. Today's CMD must have intimate knowledge of their corporation's industry and the businesses that they support, particularly the occupational and environmental programs that comply with all local, state, and/or national standards and regulations. Leading companies not only measure compliance with such standards but also may hold programs to their own internal corporate global standards even if these go beyond local government requirements. This document will explore in greater depth the strength and importance that the CMD brings to the business operations to support a healthy, engaged, and high performing workforce. Part 1 describes the role and value of the CMD, while Part 2 provides collective wisdom for the new CMD from current and past highly experienced CMDs.
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A Seven-Year Longitudinal Claim Analysis to Assess the Factors Contributing to the Increased Severity of Work-Related Injuries. J Occup Environ Med 2016; 58:e320-4. [PMID: 27608153 DOI: 10.1097/jom.0000000000000842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent decades, the frequency of Medical Only (MO) and Lost Time (LT) workers' compensation claims has decreased, while average severity (medical and indemnity costs) has increased. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare claim frequency, mix, and severity (cost) over two periods using a claim cohort follow-up method. METHODS Sixty-two thousand five hundred thirty-three claims during two periods (1999 to 2002 and 2003 to 2006) were followed seven years postinjury. Descriptive analysis and significant testing methods were used to compare claim frequency and costs. RESULTS The number of claims per $1 M of premium decreased 50.4% for MO claims and 35.6% for LT claims, consequently increasing the LT claim proportion. The average cost of LT claims did not increase. CONCLUSION The severity increase is attributable to the proportional change in LT and MO claims. While the number of LT claims decreased, the inflation-adjusted average cost of LT claims did not increase.
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Parker DL, Yamin SC, Brosseau LM, Xi M, Gordon R, Most IG, Stanley R. National Machine Guarding Program: Part 2. Safety management in small metal fabrication enterprises. Am J Ind Med 2015; 58:1184-93. [PMID: 26345591 PMCID: PMC5014194 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Small manufacturing businesses often lack important safety programs. Many reasons have been set forth on why this has remained a persistent problem. Methods The National Machine Guarding Program (NMGP) was a nationwide intervention conducted in partnership with two workers' compensation insurers. Insurance safety consultants collected baseline data in 221 business using a 33‐question safety management audit. Audits were completed during an interview with the business owner or manager. Results Most measures of safety management improved with an increasing number of employees. This trend was particularly strong for lockout/tagout. However, size was only significant for businesses without a safety committee. Establishments with a safety committee scored higher (55% vs. 36%) on the safety management audit compared with those lacking a committee (P < 0.0001). Conclusions Critical safety management programs were frequently absent. A safety committee appears to be a more important factor than business size in accounting for differences in outcome measures. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:1184–1193, 2015. © 2015 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Parker
- Park Nicollet Institute, Health Research Center, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
| | - Samuel C Yamin
- Park Nicollet Institute, Health Research Center, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
| | - Lisa M Brosseau
- Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Min Xi
- Park Nicollet Institute, Health Research Center, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
| | - Robert Gordon
- Park Nicollet Institute, Health Research Center, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
| | - Ivan G Most
- School of Public Health, University of New England, Portland, Minnesota
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Mischke C, Verbeek JH, Job J, Morata TC, Alvesalo-Kuusi A, Neuvonen K, Clarke S, Pedlow RI. Occupational safety and health enforcement tools for preventing occupational diseases and injuries. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013:CD010183. [PMID: 23996220 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd010183.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is uncertainty as to whether and what extent occupational safety and health regulation and legislation enforcement activities, such as inspections, are effective and efficient to improve workers' health and safety. We use the term regulation to refer both to regulation and legislation. OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of occupational safety and health regulation enforcement tools for preventing occupational diseases and injuries. SEARCH METHODS We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE (embase.com), CINAHL (EBSCO), PsycINFO (Ovid), OSH update, HeinOnline, Westlaw International, EconLit and Scopus from the inception of each database until January 2013. We also checked reference lists of included articles and contacted study authors to identify additional published, unpublished and ongoing studies. SELECTION CRITERIA We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled before-after studies (CBAs), interrupted time series (ITS) and econometric panel studies of firms or workplaces evaluating inspections, warnings or orders, citations or fines, prosecution or firm closure by governmental representatives and if the outcomes were injuries, diseases or exposures.In addition, we included qualitative studies of workers' or employers' attitudes or beliefs towards enforcement tools. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Pairs of authors independently extracted data on the main characteristics, the risk of bias and the effects of the interventions. We expressed intervention effects as risk ratios (RR) or mean differences (MD). We recalculated other effect measures into RRs or MDs. We combined the results of similar studies in a meta-analysis. MAIN RESULTS We located 23 studies: two RCTs with 1414 workplaces, two CBAs with 9903 workplaces, one ITS with six outcome measurements, 12 panel studies and six qualitative studies with 310 participants. Studies evaluated the effects of inspections in general and the effects of their consequences, such as penalties. Studies on the effects of prosecution, warnings or closure were not available or were of such quality that we could not include their results. The effect was measured on injury rates, on exposure to physical workload and on compliance with regulation, with a follow-up varying from one to four years. All studies had serious limitations and therefore the quality of the evidence was low to very low. The injury rates in the control groups varied across studies from 1 to 23 injuries per 100 person-years and compliance rates varied from 40% to 75% being compliant.The effects of inspections were inconsistent in seven studies: injury rates decreased or stayed at a similar level compared to no intervention at short and medium-term follow-up. In studies that found a decrease the effect was small with a 10% decrease of the injury rate. At long-term follow-up, in one study there was a significant decrease of 23% (95% confidence interval 8% to 23%) in injury rates and in another study a substantial decrease in accident rates, both compared to no intervention.First inspections, follow-up inspections, complaint and accident inspections resulted in higher compliance rates compared to the average effect of any other type of inspections.In small firms, inspections with citations or with more penalties could result in fewer injuries or more compliance in the short term but not in the medium term.Longer inspections and more frequent inspections probably do not result in more compliance.In two studies, there was no adverse effect of inspections on firm survival, employment or sales.Qualitative studies show that there is support for enforcement among workers. However, workers doubt if the inspections are effective because inspections are rare and violations can be temporarily fixed to mislead inspectors. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS There is evidence that inspections decrease injuries in the long term but not in the short term. The magnitude of the effect is uncertain. There are no studies that used chemical or physical exposures as outcome. Specific, focused inspections could have larger effects than inspections in general. The effect of fines and penalties is uncertain. The quality of the evidence is low to very low and therefore these conclusions are tentative and can be easily changed by better future studies. There is an urgent need for better designed evaluations, such as pragmatic randomised trials, to establish the effects of existing and novel enforcement methods, especially on exposure and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Mischke
- Cochrane Occupational Safety and Health Review Group, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Neulaniementie 4, PO Box 310, Kuopio, Finland, 70101
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Mendeloff J, Burns R. States with low non-fatal injury rates have high fatality rates and vice-versa. Am J Ind Med 2013; 56:509-19. [PMID: 22473632 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND State-level injury rates or fatality rates are sometimes used in studies of the impact of various safety programs or other state policies. How much does the metric used affect the view of relative occupational risks among U.S. states? This paper uses a measure of severe injuries (fatalities) and of less severe injuries (non-fatal injuries with days away from work, restricted work, or job transfer-DART) to examine that issue. METHODS We looked at the correlation between the average DART injury rate (from the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses) and an adjusted average fatality rate (from the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries) in the construction sector for states for 2003-2005 and for 2006-2008. The RAND Human Subjects Protection Committee determined that this study was exempt from review. RESULTS The correlations between the fatal and non-fatal injury rates were between -0.30 and -0.70 for all construction and for the subsector of special trade contractors. The negative correlation was much smaller between the rate of fatal falls from heights and the rate of non-fatal falls from heights. Adjusting for differences in the industry composition of the construction sector across states had minor effects on these results. CONCLUSION Although some have suggested that fatal and non-fatal injury rates should not necessarily be positively correlated, no one has suggested that the correlation is negative, which is what we find. We know that reported non-fatal rates are influenced by workers' compensation benefits and other factors. Fatality rates appear to be a more valid measure of risk. Efforts to explain the variations that we find should be undertaken.
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Morse T, Bracker A, Warren N, Goyzueta J, Cook M. Characteristics of effective health and safety committees: survey results. Am J Ind Med 2013; 56:163-79. [PMID: 22886771 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although perhaps the most common worker-management structure, there has been surprisingly little research on describing and evaluating the characteristics of health and safety committees. METHODS A survey of 380 health and safety committee members from 176 manufacturing workplaces was supplemented with administrative data and compared with reported workers' compensation rates. Survey respondents also reported perceptions of overall safety, committee, effectiveness, committee activities, and "best practices." RESULTS Extensive descriptive data is presented, including a mean of 8.7 members per committee spending 1,167 hr per year on committee business for an estimate of $40,500 worth of time per committee. Higher speed to correct action items, a focus on ergonomics, and planning for safety training was associated with lower injury rates. The discrepancy between managers and hourly committee members in estimating overall safety was strongly positively associated with injury rates. CONCLUSIONS Communications and worker involvement may be important to address discrepancy issues. Prospective studies are needed to distinguish directionality of associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Morse
- Department of Community Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Health Center, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030-6210, USA.
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Monforton C, Windsor R. An impact evaluation of a federal mine safety training regulation on injury rates among US stone, sand, and gravel mine workers: an interrupted time-series analysis. Am J Public Health 2010; 100:1334-40. [PMID: 20466960 PMCID: PMC2882415 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2009.178301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2009] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We evaluated the impact of a safety training regulation, implemented by the US Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in 1999, on injury rates at stone, sand, and gravel mining operations. METHODS We applied a time-series design and analyses with quarterly counts of nonfatal injuries and employment hours from 7998 surface aggregate mines from 1995 through 2006. Covariates included standard industrial classification codes, ownership, and injury severity. RESULTS Overall crude rates of injuries declined over the 12-year period. Reductions in incident rates for medical treatment only, restricted duty, and lost-time injuries were consistent with temporal trends and provided no evidence of an intervention effect attributable to the MSHA regulation. Rates of permanently disabling injuries (PDIs) declined markedly. Regression analyses documented a statistically significant reduction in the risk rate in the postintervention time period (risk rate = 0.591; 95% confidence interval = 0.529, 0.661). CONCLUSIONS Although a causal relationship between the regulatory intervention and the decline in the rate of PDIs is plausible, inconsistency in the results with the other injury-severity categories preclude attributing the observed outcome to the MSHA regulation. Further analyses of these data are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Monforton
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
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Silverstein M. Getting home safe and sound: occupational safety and health administration at 38. Am J Public Health 2008; 98:416-23. [PMID: 18235060 PMCID: PMC2253592 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2007.117382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/04/2007] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct) declared that every worker is entitled to safe and healthful working conditions, and that employers are responsible for work being free from all recognized hazards. Thirty-eight years after these assurances, however, it is difficult to find anyone who believes the promise of the OSHAct has been met. The persistence of preventable, life-threatening hazards at work is a failure to keep a national promise. I review the history of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and propose measures to better ensure that those who go to work every day return home safe and sound. These measures fall into 6 areas: leverage and accountability, safety and health systems, employee rights, equal protection, framing, and infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Silverstein
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
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Bulzacchelli MT, Vernick JS, Webster DW, Lees PSJ. Effects of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) standard on rates of machinery-related fatal occupational injury. Inj Prev 2007; 13:334-8. [PMID: 17916891 PMCID: PMC2610620 DOI: 10.1136/ip.2007.015677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2007] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of the United States' federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) standard on rates of machinery-related fatal occupational injury. The standard, which took effect in 1990, requires employers in certain industries to establish an energy control program and sets minimum criteria for energy control procedures, training, inspections, and hardware. DESIGN An interrupted time-series design was used to determine the standard's effect on fatality rates. Machinery-related fatalities, obtained from the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities surveillance system for 1980 through 2001, were used as a proxy for lockout/tagout-related fatalities. Linear regression was used to control for changes in demographic and economic factors. RESULTS The average annual crude rate of machinery-related fatalities in manufacturing changed little from 1980 to 1989, but declined by 4.59% per year from 1990 to 2001. However, when controlling for demographic and economic factors, the regression model estimate of the standard's effect is a small, non-significant increase of 0.05 deaths per 100 000 production worker full-time equivalents (95% CI -0.14 to 0.25). When fatality rates in comparison groups that should not have been affected by the standard are incorporated into the analysis, there is still no significant change in the rate of machinery-related fatalities in manufacturing. CONCLUSIONS There is no evidence that the lockout/tagout standard decreased fatality rates relative to other trends in occupational safety over the study period. A possible explanation is voluntary use of lockout/tagout by some employers before introduction of the standard and low compliance by other employers after.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria T Bulzacchelli
- Center for Injury Research and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Sport and occupation related traumatic nerve injury is a common problem in the United States. While the physical requirements of each pursuit place participants at risk for injury to certain peripheral nervous system structures, the vast numbers of professional and recreational pursuits limits the ability to become familiar with nerve injuries specific to each. A more pragmatic approach is to apply knowledge of mechanisms of injury, physiology of nerve injury, regional anatomy, and at-risk peripheral nervous system structures to the routine neurologic history and physical assessment to arrive at a localizing and etiologic diagnosis. REVIEW SUMMARY The authors discuss potential mechanisms of nerve injury, the role of electrodiagnostic testing, regional peripheral nervous system anatomic considerations and lesion localization. CONCLUSIONS Despite the wide variety of professionally and recreationally induced peripheral nerve injuries, application of anatomic, physiologic and mechanistic considerations allow the neurologist to make an etiologic and localizing diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Elman
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Baggs J, Silverstein B, Foley M. Workplace health and safety regulations: Impact of enforcement and consultation on workers' compensation claims rates in Washington State. Am J Ind Med 2003; 43:483-94. [PMID: 12704621 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.10209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There has been considerable debate in the public policy arena about the appropriate mix of regulatory enforcement and consultation in achieving desired health and safety behavior across industries. Recently there has been a shift in federal policy toward voluntary approaches and constraining the scope of enforcement programs, although there is little evidence that this might improve health and safety outcomes. To address this, we examined changes in lost time workers compensation claims rates for Washington State employers who had (1) no OSHA State Plan (WISHA) activity, (2) enforcement, (3) consultation, and (4) both types of visits. METHODS Compensable claims rates, hours, and WISHA activity were determined for each employer account with a single business location that had payroll hours reported for every quarter from 1997-2000 and more than 10 employees. We used a generalized estimating equations (GEE) approach to Poisson regression to model the association between WISHA activity and claims rate controlling for other external factors. RESULTS Controlling for previous claims rate and average size, claims rates for employers with WISHA enforcement activity declined 22.5% in fixed site industry SIC codes compared to 7% among employers with no WISHA activity (P < 0.05), and in non-fixed site SICs (e.g., construction) claims rates declined 12.8% for employers with enforcement activity compared to a 7.4% decline for those with no WISHA activity (P > 0.10). WISHA consultation activity was not associated with a greater decline in compensable claims rates (-2.3% for fixed sites and +3.5% for non-fixed sites). WISHA activity did not adversely affect worksite survivability through the study period. CONCLUSIONS Enforcement inspections are significantly associated with decreasing compensable workers compensation claims rates especially for fixed site employers. We were unable to identify an association between consultation activities and decreasing claims rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Baggs
- Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention Program, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Olympia, Washington 98504, USA
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