Age related differences in work injuries and permanent impairment: a comparison of workers' compensation claims among adolescents, young adults, and adults

Workers' compensation injuries in aviation manufacturing in the state of Kansas, 2014-2022

INTRODUCTION

Workers' compensation injuries entail burdensome financial and social costs. This study's objective was to describe cost and frequency of workplace injuries in aviation manufacturing in the state of Kansas using workers' compensation data. Manufacturing incurs more workers' compensation claims in Kansas than any other industry, and aviation contributes more of those claims than any other sub sector.

METHOD

Workers' compensation insurance and reporting are required in the state of Kansas. Data were provided by the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) and included all closed workers' compensation claims entailing indemnity and medical costs filed in the state from 2014 to 2022. Cost of claim data were normalized to 2022 U.S. dollars and data were analyzed as a function of percentage and claim cost by body part, type of injury, cause of injury, specific musculoskeletal disorder type, and as a function of age and gender injury rates.

RESULTS

Aviation claims entailed a median total cost of $26,941 and represented 8% of all closed claims filed in the state from 2014 to 2022. The grand total direct cost over the nine-year period was $75,404,147. Medical costs comprised 48.6% of all costs, indemnity 45.0%, and legal 6.4%. The most frequently injured body part was the hand/wrist (35.9%) followed by the shoulder (20.6%), and the most expensive body parts were related to the back. Overexertion (38.6%) was the most common cause followed by repetitive motion (22.8%). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders were the most common type accounting for 67.4% of all claims. Men and workers aged 55-64 incurred slightly higher claim rates than average. A sharp decrease in number of claims closed in 2021 coincided with production shutdowns the previous year related to the Covid-19 pandemic and design issues.

CONCLUSIONS

Aviation manufacturing is a key industry in Kansas and this study is the first known to describe costs and frequencies of workplace injuries in the sector using workers' compensation data.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This guide to the most problematic and costly injuries in aviation manufacturing helps practitioners prioritize prevention strategies to most effectively reduce workplace injury and helps safety and health practitioners in prioritizing prevention efforts to reduce the most severe and costly aviation manufacturing injuries and illnesses. It also brings attention to some special considerations when working with safety data from 2020 to 2022 related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Variation in occupational exposure risk for COVID-19 workers' compensation claims across pandemic waves in Ontario

OBJECTIVES

To understand rates of work-related COVID-19 (WR-C19) infection by occupational exposures across waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada.

METHODS

We combined workers' compensation claims for COVID-19 with data from Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey, to estimate rates of WR-C19 among workers spending the majority of their working time at the workplace between 1 April 2020 and 30 April 2022. Occupational exposures, imputed using a job exposure matrix, were whether the occupation was public facing, proximity to others at work, location of work and a summary measure of low, medium and high occupational exposure. Negative binomial regression models examined the relationship between occupational exposures and risk of WR-C19, adjusting for covariates.

RESULTS

Trends in rates of WR-C19 differed from overall COVID-19 cases among the working-aged population. All occupational exposures were associated with increased risk of WR-C19, with risk ratios for medium and high summary exposures being 1.30 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.55) and 2.46 (95% CI 2.10 to 2.88), respectively, in fully adjusted models. The magnitude of associations between occupational exposures and risk of WR-C19 differed across waves of the pandemic, being weakest for most exposures in period March 2021 to June 2021, and highest at the start of the pandemic and during the Omicron wave (December 2021 to April 2022).

CONCLUSIONS

Occupational exposures were consistently associated with increased risk of WR-C19, although the magnitude of this relationship differed across pandemic waves in Ontario. Preparation for future pandemics should consider more accurate reporting of WR-C19 infections and the potential dynamic nature of occupational exposures.

How does subjective invulnerability impact young workers' safety voice?

INTRODUCTION

Young workers are at risk of workplace injuries for numerous reasons. One contentious yet untested theory is that subjective invulnerability to danger-a sense of indestructability in the face of physical hazards-can affect some young workers' reactions to workplace hazards. This study contends that subjective invulnerability can affect these reactions in two ways: (a) perceptions of physical hazards at work generate less fear of injury among those who perceive themselves as more invulnerable and/or; (b) fear of injury does not motivate speaking up about safety concerns (safety voice) among those who perceive themselves as more invulnerable.

METHOD

This paper tests a moderated mediation model in which higher perceptions of physical hazards at work are related to higher safety voice intentions via higher fear of injury, but that subjective invulnerability reduces the extent to which: (a) perceptions of physical hazards at work are associated with fear of injury and/or; (b) fear of injury is associated with safety voice. This model is tested in two studies of young workers (Study 1 on-line experiment: N = 114, M age = 20.67, SD = 1.79; range = 18-24 years; Study 2 field study using three waves of data collected at monthly intervals: N = 80, M age = 17.13, SD = 1.08, range = 15-20 years).

RESULTS

Contrary to expectations, the results showed that young workers who feel more invulnerable to danger are more likely to speak up about safety when experiencing higher fear of injury, and that perceptions of physical hazards-safety voice relationship is mediated by fear of injury for those who perceive themselves to be more invulnerable to danger. Conclusions/Practical Applications: Rather than subjective invulnerability silencing safety voice as predicted, the current data suggest that subjective invulnerability may serve to accelerate how fear of injury motivates safety voice.

Fatal work accidents in Ecuador from 2014 to 2020: How the age of the deceased worker relates to the accidents' temporal and geographical characteristics

This article analyzes the relationship between the age of male workers deceased in work accidents and temporal (year, month, day of the week, working shifts), geographic (provinces), and economic sector characteristics in which the accidents occurred in Ecuador between 2014 and 2020. Available data on fatal accidents from the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS) were collected. The results, which report both frequencies and proportions (rates), indicate that fatal accidents have decreased in the period, although the average age of deceased workers has increased. No significant differences were found regarding the month, day of the week, and work shift, nor in the frequency of accidents or the age of the deceased workers. However, differences were found in terms of geographical areas and sectors of economic activity. This study contributes to the literature as it is the first to analyze the temporal and geographical characteristics of fatal accidents about the age of the deceased worker.

Evaluating a Digital Mental Health Intervention (Wysa) for Workers' Compensation Claimants: Pilot Feasibility Study

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the feasibility and acceptability of an AI-led digital mental health intervention in a Workers' Compensation (WC) program, Wysa for Return to Work.

METHODS

Self-reported demographic data and responses to psychosocial screening questions were analyzed alongside participants' app usage through which four key outcomes were measured: recruitment rate, onboarding rate, retention, and engagement.

RESULTS

The data demonstrated a high need for psychosocial interventions among injured workers, especially women, young adults, and those with high severity injuries. Those with more psychosocial risk factors had a higher rate of onboarding, retention, and engagement, and those with severe injuries had higher retention.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study concluded that Wysa for Return to Work, the AI-led digital mental health intervention that delivers a recovery program using a digital conversational agent, is feasible and acceptable for a return-to-work population.

Young workers and safety: A critical review and future research agenda

INTRODUCTION

Research on young worker safety often relies on inconsistent definitions of young workers and poorly delineated indicators of occupational safety. This review aims to reconcile these fundamental issues by critically integrating research across disciplines and providing clear directions for future research on young worker safety.

METHOD

We critically review the extant research on young worker safety.

RESULTS

We first reconcile the inconsistent definitions of young workers and specify the indicators of occupational safety used in young worker safety research. We next describe the prevalence of workplace injuries and population-level predictors of these injuries among young workers and then outline other factors that increase young workers' susceptibility to workplace injuries. Finally, we discuss the convergence of many of these issues on family farms-a context commonly studied in young worker safety research.

CONCLUSIONS

Clearer definitions of young workers and indicators of occupational safety can improve the interpretation and comparability of extant research findings. Furthermore, the prevalence of workplace injuries and population-level predictors of injury among young workers are subject to the interactions among age, gender, minority status, and job characteristics. Other factors that increase young workers' susceptibility to injury include young workers' responses to hazardous work, individual differences stemming from young workers' biological and psychological development, managerial attitudes about young workers, and the limited safety training young workers are thus provided, the types of work that young workers typically perform, and the range of social influences on young workers.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Safety campaigns and safety training should consider interactions among young workers' age, gender, minority status, and job characteristics, rather than considering these features independently.

Assessing disabling and non-disabling injuries and illnesses using accepted workers compensation claims data to prioritize industries of high risk for Oregon young workers

INTRODUCTION

Young workers are especially vulnerable to occupational injuries and illnesses. There is a continued need to investigate injury burden among young workers across demographics and industry to inform targeted interventions. Workers compensation (WC) claims are important for quantifying work-related injuries and illnesses, however published studies have focused on disabling claims. This study extended previous research on Oregon young workers by including the most recent WC claims data to identify patterns of injury and high risk industries.

METHODS

We obtained all accepted disabling claims (N = 13,360) and a significant portion of non-disabling claims (N = 24,660) on workers aged 24 years and under from 2013 to 2018. Claim count, rate and cost were calculated by year, age, gender, industry, and injury type. A prevention index (PI) method was used to rank industries in order to inform prevention efforts.

RESULTS

Average annual disabling and non-disabling claim rates were 111.6 and 401.3 per 10,000 young workers. Workers aged 19-21 (disabling: 119.0 per 10,000 and non-disabling: 429.3) and 22-24 years (115.7 and 396.4) and male workers (145.3 and 509.0) had higher claim rates than workers aged 14-18 (80.6 and 297.0) and female workers (79.8 and 282.9). The most frequent injury types were "struck by/against" (35.6%) and "work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs)" (19.5%). High risk industries included agriculture, construction, and manufacturing for both genders combined. For female young workers, the highest risk industry was healthcare.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated the added value of non-disabling WC claims data. Using both disabling and non-disabling data and PI method, agriculture, construction, manufacturing and healthcare industries were identified as priority workplaces to prevent common and costly injuries among Oregon young workers. Practical Applications: While the industries identified are considered hazardous for all workers, findings in this study can guide targeted research and prevention efforts specific to young workers.

Profile, risk factors and outcome of occupational injuries reported to the emergency department in a tertiary care hospital in South India

Background:

India is an industrialised country and most work is labour intensive. There is very scarce data on occupation related injuries

Aim:

To evaluate the prevalence, profile, severity and risk factors for occupational injuries presenting to the emergency medicine department of a tertiary care hospital.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional study was done in the emergency department of Christian Medical College, Vellore among the patients who presented with occupational injuries. The risk factors for occupational injuries like age, gender, shift work, work experience and type of work and their severity and outcome were evaluated.

Results:

Older age group, working in shift duty, working longer hours were significant risk factors for occupational injuries.

Conclusion:

Training and use of safety protective measures will decrease occupational injuries.

The effect of age, prolonged seated work and sex on posture and perceived effort during a lifting task

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of prolonged seated work, lift task, age and sex on normalized lumbar angles, thoracic angles, perceived effort and duration of lifts. A total of 17 young and 17 mature participants were recruited with an average (standard deviation) age of 23.8 (5.0) years and 63.7 (3.9) years, respectively. Participants completed 3 different floor to knuckle lifts before and following 90 min of seated work. The lifts included; (i) 7 kg symmetrical, (ii) 4.5 kg symmetrical and (iii) 4.5 kg asymmetrical. Prolonged seated work and age interacted to affect normalized peak lumbar angles (p = 0.0469) where older adults adopted 56(15)% flexion after seated work compared to 67(16)% among younger adults. Older adults took significantly longer to complete the lifting tasks compared to younger adults while age did not affect perceived effort across lifting tasks. Older workers may require age specific interventions given age specific responses.

Commuting accidents of Spanish professional drivers: when occupational risk exceeds the workplace

Background. Work traffic accidents are an issue both in Spain and all over the world, and specific evidence on commuting accidents is scarce. Even though both industrial safety and welfare have been improved during the last decades, the commuting accidents rate is growing worldwide. Purpose. The aim of this study was to examine and describe the characteristics of commuting traffic crashes of Spanish professional drivers. Materials and methods. For this cross-sectional study, commuting accidents suffered by drivers during the last 12 years were analyzed. Crossed and heatmap-based analyses were performed in order to establish patterns and driver-based differences among commuting crashes. Results. Commuting crashes' features were found to be associated with demographic and job-related variables of professional drivers. Drivers' gender, time slots (peak/off-peak hours) and the specific hour of the event explained different trends in accident severity and characteristics. Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that commuting accidents involving professional drivers differ in demographic and situational issues from general and on-duty professional drivers' traffic crashes. Also, since in Spain commuting crashes are occupational accidents, more numerous and better actions should be taken in this regard, especially considering the association of professional drivers' accidents with fatigue and shift-working.

Incident Surveillance in New Jersey Career and Technical Education Programs, 1999 to 2008

Through school-sponsored career and technical education programs in New Jersey, students work part-time during or after school in paid and unpaid structured learning experiences regulated by the New Jersey Department of Education. Schools submit information on “reportable incidents,” injury or illness resulting in physician treatment. Incidents including reported use of personal protective equipment (PPE) were assessed; 1,600 incident reports (1999 to 2008) were received. Attributes such as type and severity, body parts affected, and PPE use for incidents occurring at school among students grades 9 to 12 or labeled as “adults” during school hours ( n = 285) were analyzed. Older teens incurred more injuries. PPE use was consistently low across age and gender. Students most frequently experienced knife injuries involving fingers and hands. Results identified potential injury determinants and training and intervention topics such as PPE, and support development of an enhanced reporting form.

Occupational Health Problems and Safety Conditions among Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Cross-sectional Study in Shiraz, Iran

Background:

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) include a large part of manufacturing jobs and play an important role in developing national economics and employment.

Objectives:

The present study aimed to investigate occupational health problems and safety conditions among SMEs in Shiraz, Iran.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was carried out on 711 SMEs, including 371 small enterprises (fewer than 25 workers) and 340 medium enterprises (25–99 workers), in Shiraz, Iran. The participants were selected randomly among the workplaces under the coverage of social security insurance. The researcher-made questionnaire, which consisted of demographic characteristics, the frequency rate of occupational accidents, and exposure to workplace harmful agents, were distributed among participants.

Findings:

The results showed there were significantly more physical and chemical harmful agents in medium enterprises compared to small ones (P < 0.001). However, the frequency rate of accidents in small enterprises was significantly higher than in medium enterprises (P < 0.001). Also, there was no significant difference between the studied enterprises in ergonomic hazards, except for awkward posture, whose frequency rate was significantly higher in small enterprises (P < 0.05). Finally, among the reported symptoms, the prevalence of eye, skin, ear, and respiratory symptoms was significantly higher in medium enterprises compared to small enterprises (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

Occupational health and safety (OHS) regulations in medium enterprises have led to improved OHS conditions compared to small enterprises. Therefore, small enterprises should be included in OHS regulations.

Relationship Between Nicotine Dependency and Occupational Injury in a Japanese Large-Scale Manufacturing Enterprise: A Single-Center Study

OBJECTIVES

Although several studies have shown the association between smoking and occupational injury, the exact mechanism by which smoking contributes to occupational injury remains unclear. We conducted a 5-year case-control study in a population of Japanese large-scale enterprise workers aimed to verify the hypothesis that nicotine dependency is positively associated with occupational injury.

METHODS

A total of 3179 to 3574 male workers annually participated in this study conducted from 2008 to 2012. Employees who had an occupational injury as detailed in the company records were included in the case group, while employees who did not have any occupational injury were included in the control group. Information on smoking status, nicotine dependency [assessed according to time to first cigarette (TTF) and cigarette per day (CPD)], and potential confounders were obtained via questionnaires administered during periodic health checkups. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated via multiple logistic regression analysis and integrated using the general variance-based fixed effects model.

RESULTS

The overall adjusted OR of occupational injury in smokers was 1.71 [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.10 to 2.66]. The OR for low and high nicotine dependency according to TTF was 1.52 (95% CI: 0.92 to 2.51) and 1.98 (95% CI: 1.15 to 3.41), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Nicotine dependency was related to an increased risk of occupational injury. These findings support the hypothesis that smoking is associated with occupational injury.

Injunctive safety norms, young worker risk-taking behaviors, and workplace injuries

Injunctive safety norms (ISNs) refer to perceptions of others' expectations of one's safety-related conduct. Drawing on a sample of Canadian young workers (n=11,986;M age=17.90years; 55% males), we study the relationships among four sources of non-work-related (i.e., parents, siblings, friends, teachers), two sources of work-related (i.e., supervisors, co-workers) ISNs, young workers' self-reported work-related risk-taking behaviors, and workplace injuries. Structural equation modeling suggests that ISNs from parents, supervisors, and co-workers were related to less frequent work-related risk-taking behaviors, and with fewer workplace injuries via less frequent work-related risk-taking behaviors. In addition, ISNs from supervisors were directly associated with fewer workplace injuries. In contrast, ISNs from teachers and siblings were not associated with work-related risk-taking behaviors, but ISNs from siblings were associated with fewer work injuries. Finally, ISNs from friends were associated with more frequent work-related risk-taking and more frequent work injuries via more frequent work-related risk-taking. This study draws attention to the relative roles of non-work sources of social influence and provides some evidence of how ISNs might be related to young workers' work-related risk-taking behaviors and their workplace injuries. It also contributes to practice by suggesting specific interventions that parents, supervisors, and co-workers could undertake to reduce young workers' work-related risk-taking and workplace injuries, namely encouraging youth to be safe at work.

Effect of occupational safety and health education received during schooling on the incidence of workplace injuries in the first 2 years of occupational life: a prospective study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine the effect of occupational safety and health (OSH) education during formal schooling on the incidence of workplace injuries (WIs) in young people starting their careers. We hypothesised that young people who had received OSH education during their schooling would have fewer WIs than those who received no OSH education. Secondary objectives focused on the effect of 'first aid at work' training during schooling and the conditions encountered on arrival in the company (occupational hazard information, safety training and job task training) on WI occurrence.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

From 2009 to 2012, French apprentices and students at the end of their schooling and starting their careers were included.

OUTCOMES

Occurrence of WIs.

METHODS

At the time of inclusion, information about school courses and personal characteristics were collected, and subsequent half-yearly contacts gathered information relating to work and personal data. During the 2-year follow-up, WIs were directly reported by participants and were identified by searching the French National Health Insurance Funds' databases listing compulsory WI declarations.

RESULTS

755 participants reported holding 1290 jobs. During follow-up, 158 WIs were identified, corresponding to an incident rate of 0.12 (0.10 to 0.14) WIs per full-time worker. Subjects who reported having received OSH education at school had two times less WIs than those declaring not having received OSH education (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.51, 0.00 to 0.98). A lower WI risk was observed for participants who received the 'first aid at work' training (IRR=0.68, 0.00 to 0.98). The conditions on arrival in company were not associated with WIs occurrence.

CONCLUSION

In France, the OSH education provided to apprentices and students is mostly broader than the specific risks related to future jobs. Our results highlight the advantages of reinforcing this approach.

Risk of work injury among adolescent students from single and partnered parent families

BACKGROUND

Parental involvement in keeping their children safe at work has been examined in a handful of studies, with mixed results. Evidence has suggested that non-work injury risk is higher among children from single-parent families, but little is known about their risk for work-related injuries.

METHODS

Five survey cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey were pooled to create a nationally representative sample of employed 15-19-year old students (N = 16,620). Multivariable logistic regression estimated the association between family status and work injury.

RESULTS

Risk of work-related repetitive strains (OR:1.24, 95%CI: 0.69-2.22) did not differ by family type. However, children of single parents were less likely to sustain a work injury receiving immediate medical care (OR:0.43, 95%CI: 0.19-0.96).

CONCLUSION

Despite advantages and disadvantages related to family types, there is no evidence that work-related injury risk among adolescents from single parent families is greater than that of partnered-parent families. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:285-294, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Factors associated with the severity of fatal accidents in construction workers

Background: Construction work (building houses, roads, workplaces, and repairing and maintaining infrastructures) is a dangerous land-based job. This includes many hazardous tasks and conditions such as working at the following conditions: Height, excavation, noise, dust, power tools and equipment. Construction work has been increased in developed and underdeveloped countries over the past few years. Occupational fatalities have increased with an increase in this type of work. Occupational fatalities refer to individuals who pass way while on the job or performing work related tasks. In the present study, to identify the factors, personal characteristics and work-related factors associated with fatal occupational mortality were assessed using data for Tehran, Iran, 2014-2016. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study, using 967 postmortem reports from fatal occupational injuries collected through postmortem investigations during 2014-2016. A sampling frame of 967 postmortem reports from fatal occupational injuries was used to draw a total sample of 714 fatal construction accidents for this cross-sectional study. Pearson χ2 test and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: Based on the results of this study, male gender (n=714; 100%), age range of 30-39 years (n=183; 25.6%), secondary educational level (n=273; 38.2%), being married (317; 44.4%), causal employee (n=389; 54.5%), unskilled performance (389; 54.5%), no insurance coverage (472; 66.1%), and daytime duty work (287; 40.2%) were identified as risk factors for fatality in the event of construction fatal injury. A significant relationship was found between the type of injury and sociodemographic and work related variables. Conclusion: Workers' characteristics such as age, gender, experience, and educational background, and work related variables such as skill training, safety measurement, and close monitoring could be used to discriminate among different severity levels of occupational fatal accidents.

A Qualitative Comparison of Susceptibility and Behavior in Recreational and Occupational Risk Environments: Implications for Promoting Health and Safety

Although internal factors that influence risk are frequently studied to understand human behavior, external factors, including social, cultural, and institutional factors, should be better utilized to inform ways to efficiently target, tailor, and promote safety messaging to at-risk populations. Semi-structured interviews obtained data from 37 motorcyclists and 18 mineworkers about their risk perceptions and behaviors within their respective dynamic environments. A comparative thematic analysis revealed information about external factors that influence risk perceptions and behaviors. Results support the importance of qualitative approaches for assessing and targeting individuals' risk perceptions and behaviors. In addition, segmenting at-risk subgroups within target populations and tailoring messages for these at-risk groups is critical for safety behavior modification. Practitioners should utilize strategic, culture-centric risk communication that takes into account external factors when determining when, who, and what to communicate via health promotion activities to more accurately disseminate valid, empathetic, and engaging communication with a higher level of fidelity.

Occupational injuries in Canadian youth: an analysis of 22 years of surveillance data collected from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program

INTRODUCTION

Inexperience, inadequate training and differential hazard exposure may contribute to a higher risk of injury in young workers. This study describes features of work-related injuries in young Canadians to identify areas for potential occupational injury prevention strategies.

METHODS

We analyzed records for youth aged 10-17 presenting to Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) emergency departments (EDs) from 1991-2012. We classified work-related injuries into job groups corresponding to National Occupational Classification for Statistics 2006 codes and conducted descriptive analyses to assess injury profiles by job group. Age- and sex-adjusted proportionate injury ratios (PIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to compare the nature of injuries between occupational and non-occupational events overall and by job group.

RESULTS

Of the 6046 injuries (0.72% of events in this age group) that occurred during work, 63.9% were among males. Youth in food and beverage occupations (54.6% males) made up 35.4% of work-related ED visits and 10.2% of work-related hospital admissions, while primary industry workers (76.4% males) made up 4.8% of work-related ED visits and 24.6% of work-related hospital admissions. PIRs were significantly elevated for burns (9.77, 95% CI: 8.94-10.67), crushing/amputations (6.72, 95% CI: 5.79-7.80), electrical injuries (6.04, 95% CI: 3.64-10.00), bites (5.09, 95% CI: 4.47-5.79), open wounds (2.68, 95% CI: 2.59-2.78) and eye injuries (2.50, 95% CI: 2.20-2.83) in occupational versus non-occupational events. These were largely driven by high proportional incidence of injury types unique to job groups.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide occupation group-specific information on common injury types that can be used to support targeted approaches to reduce incidence of youth injury in the workplace.

Understanding the Probability of a Disability Resulting From Work-Related Injuries

OBJECTIVES

To assess the conditions under which the measured risk of a workplace injury resulting in a disability changes.

METHODS

Multivariate regression analysis and administrative claims data build an understanding of the factors that underlie the probability that a workplace injury results in a disability (disability probability).

RESULTS

First, jointly examining injury incidence rates and disability probabilities challenges some conclusions suggested by examining the two separately. Second, some characteristics identified as risk factors for disability when studied in isolation are not risk factors. Third, risk factors are qualitatively consistent across groups of workers but quantitatively different.

CONCLUSIONS

Policymakers might draw incorrect conclusions about the risk of a workplace injury becoming a disability unless the research provides a joint assessment of incidence rates and disability probabilities and a comprehensive analysis of risk factors across worker groups.

Industry-Related Injuries in the United States From 1998 to 2011: Characteristics, Trends, and Associated Health Care Costs

OBJECTIVE

To describe the trends, correlates, and healthcare costs associated with industry-related injuries across the United States between 1998 and 2011.

METHODS

A retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of hospital discharges was conducted using the National Inpatient Sample. We used the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes to identify accidents occurring in industrial settings. Joinpoint regression modeling was used to analyze trends.

RESULTS

Most of the 357,716 inpatient hospitalizations were admissions from the emergency department (55%). Fractures were the most prevalent injuries (48.1%), whereas the lower and upper extremities were the most common injury sites (51.7%). The mean per admission cost of direct medical care was $12,849, with an overall downward trend in injuries during the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

A comprehensive trend analysis of industry-related injuries is valuable to policymakers in formulating targeted strategies and allocating resources to address disparities at various levels.

Epidemiology of work-related traumatic brain injury: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aimed to describe the burden and risk factors of work-related traumatic brain injury (wrTBI) and evaluate methodological quality of existing literature on wrTBI.

METHODS

A search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) was conducted to identify articles published between 1980 and 2013 using a combination of terms for work, TBI, and epidemiology, without geographical limitations.

RESULTS

Ninety-eight studies were included in this review, of which 24 specifically focused on wrTBI. In general, male workers, those in the youngest and oldest age groups, and those working in the primary (e.g., agriculture, forestry, mining) or construction industries were more likely to sustain wrTBI, with falls being the most common mechanism of injury.

CONCLUSIONS

This review identified workers at highest risk of wrTBI, with implications for prevention efforts. Future research of better methodological quality is needed to provide a more complete picture of the epidemiology of wrTBI.

Comparison of data sets for surveillance of work-related injury in Victoria, Australia

OBJECTIVE

To investigate differences and similarities between three sources of work-related injury information: workers compensation claims, emergency department (ED) presentation data and hospital admissions data.

METHODS

This population-based, retrospective descriptive analysis of non-fatal, work-related injuries of workforce participants in Victoria, Australia, has compared data from workers compensation claims and ED presentation and hospital admission data sets for the period 2004-2011. Work-related injury case frequency and rate were compared across study years according to gender, age, geographical location and injury type. Injury rates were expressed as cases per million hours worked.

RESULTS

Rates of hospital admissions for treatment of work-related injury increased over the study period, compared with decreasing rates of injury in compensation claims and ED data. The highest rate of injuries to younger workers was captured in ED data. There was greater capture of musculoskeletal injuries by workers' compensation data, and of open wound and burn injury by the ED data. Broad similarities were noted for temporal trends according to gender, for the distribution of cases across older age groups and for rates of fracture injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

These study findings inform use of workers' compensation, ED presentation and hospital admission data sets as sources of information for surveillance of work-related injuries in countries where these types of data are routinely collected. Choice of data source for investigation of work-related injury should take into consideration the population and injury types of interest.

Worker compensation injuries among the Aboriginal population of British Columbia, Canada: incidence, annual trends, and ecological analysis of risk markers, 1987-2010

Background

Aboriginal people in British Columbia (BC) have higher injury incidence than the general population, but information is scarce regarding variability among injury categories, time periods, and geographic, demographic and socio-economic groups. Our project helps fill these gaps. This report focuses on workplace injuries.

Methods

We used BC’s universal health care insurance plan as a population registry, linked to worker compensation and vital statistics databases. We identified Aboriginal people by insurance premium group and birth and death record notations. We identified residents of specific Aboriginal communities by postal code. We calculated crude incidence rate and Standardized Relative Risk (SRR) of worker compensation injury, adjusted for age, gender and Health Service Delivery Area (HSDA), relative to the total population of BC. We assessed annual trend by regressing SRR as a linear function of year. We tested hypothesized associations of geographic, socio-economic, and employment-related characteristics of Aboriginal communities with community SRR of injury by multivariable linear regression.

Results

During the period 1987–2010, the crude rate of worker compensation injury in BC was 146.6 per 10,000 person-years (95% confidence interval: 146.4 to 146.9 per 10,000). The Aboriginal rate was 115.6 per 10,000 (95% CI: 114.4 to 116.8 per 10,000) and SRR was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.87 to 0.89). Among those living on reserves SRR was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.78 to 0.80). HSDA SRRs were highly variable, within both total and Aboriginal populations. Aboriginal males under 35 and females under 40 years of age had lower SRRs, but older Aboriginal females had higher SRRs. SRRs are declining, but more slowly for the Aboriginal population. The Aboriginal population was initially at lower risk than the total population, but parity was reached in 2006. These community characteristics independently predicted injury risk: crowded housing, proportion of population who identified as Aboriginal, and interactions between employment rate and income, occupational risk, proportion of university-educated persons, and year.

Conclusions

As employment rates rise, so has risk of workplace injury among the Aboriginal population. We need culturally sensitive prevention programs, targeting regions and industries where Aboriginal workers are concentrated and demographic groups that are at higher risk.

Assessment of occupational health and safety hazard exposures among working college students

BACKGROUND

Adolescents and young adults have higher injury rates than their adult counterparts in similar jobs. This study used the working college student population to assess health and safety hazards in the workplace, characterize related occupational diseases and injuries, and describe worker health/safety activities provided by employers.

METHODS

College students (≥17 years old) were assessed via online surveys about work history, workplace exposure to hazards, occupational diseases/injuries, and workplace health/safety activities.

RESULTS

Approximately half (51%) of participants (n = 1,147) were currently employed at the time of the survey or had been employed while enrolled in college. Restaurants (other than fast food) were the most frequently reported work setting. The most reported workplace hazards included noise exposure and contact with hot liquids/surfaces. Twenty percent of working students experienced injury at work; some injuries were severe enough to limit students' normal activities for >3 days (30%) or require medical attention (44%). Men had significantly higher prevalence of injuries (P = 0.05) and near-misses (P < 0.01) at work than women. Injury occurrence was associated with near-misses (AOR = 5.08, P < 0.01) and co-worker injuries (AOR = 3.19, P < 0.01) after gender and age adjustments. Most (77%) received worker safety training and half were given personal protective equipment (PPE) by their employers.

CONCLUSIONS

Risk reduction from workplace injuries and illnesses among working college students may be achieved by implementing occupational health and safety (OHS) strategies including incorporation of OHS in the college curriculum, promotion of OHS by university/college student health services, and improving awareness of OHS online resources among college students, employers, and educators.

Gender differences in the relationship between shiftwork and work injury: examining the influence of dependent children

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between shiftwork and work injury among men and women, taking into account the presence of dependent children.

METHODS

An analysis of respondents to the 2009-2010 Multipurpose Household Survey (n = 6927 women and 7340 men). Logistic regression models examined the work injury risk, adjusting for various covariates.

RESULTS

The risk of work injury associated with shiftwork was higher for women than for men. Nevertheless, gender differences were present only among respondents with dependent children. Shiftworking women with children also had a greater risk of work injury than shiftworking women without children.

CONCLUSIONS

This previously noted elevated risk of injury associated with shiftwork among women compared with that in men may be a product of increased household responsibilities or other factors particular to female shiftworkers with dependent children.

Workplace injuries and risk reduction practices in Malaysia

INTRODUCTION

This study on workplace injuries and risk reduction practices was part of the Malaysia National Health Morbidity Survey III (NHMS III) conducted in 2006.

METHODS

This cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted to determine the incidence of workplaces injuries and assess the magnitude of some important risk reduction practices among workers. Data were gathered through face-to-face household interviews using a pre-coded questionnaire.

RESULTS

Of the 22 880 eligible respondents, 88·2% (20 180) responded. The incidence rate for injuries at the workplace was 4·9 per 100 (95% CI: 4·6-5·2). The overall proportion of workers who had received occupational safety and health (OSH) training before or within 1 month of starting work was 33·6%. Among respondents who perceived that personal protective equipment (PPE) was required at their workplace, only 38·9% (95% CI: 37·8-39·4) were provided with it by their employers.

DISCUSSION

Further studies are urgently needed to identify reasons for and management of the low uptake of risk reduction practices. This issue needs to be addressed to ensure the safety and health of our working population.

Aging, sex, and cost of medical treatment

OBJECTIVE

Association between medical cost from workplace injuries and aging and its effect modification by sex were examined.

METHODS

Medical costs reimbursed from workers' compensation between 2003 and 2009 were used. A multiple zero-truncated negative binomial regression predicted percent changes in medical cost. Cubic regression spline smoothers tested effect modification.

RESULTS

Reimbursed medical costs comprised 3452 claims. Medical costs increased with aging; however, the trends differ by sex. Medical cost increase after 10 years of age increase was 27% among men (95% CI = 17% to 38%) and was 15% among women (12% to 22%). Medical cost spent among the youngest women was higher than that for the oldest men. The ratio of cost between the oldest women and oldest men was double.

CONCLUSIONS

Prioritizing controls for injuries in hospitals should focus on women and aging workers.

Work injury risk by time of day in two population-based data sources

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the rate of work injury over the 24 h clock in Ontario workers over 5 years (2004-2008).

METHODS

A cross-sectional, observational study of work-related injury and illness was conducted for a population of occupationally active adults using two independent data sources (lost-time compensation claims and emergency department encounter records). Hours worked annually by the Ontario labour force by time of day, age, gender and occupation were estimated from population-based surveys.

RESULTS

There was an approximately 40% higher incidence of emergency department visits for work-related conditions than of lost-time workers' compensation claims (707 933 emergency department records and 457 141 lost-time claims). For men and women and across all age groups, there was an elevated risk of work-related injury or illness in the evening, night and early morning periods in both administrative data sources. This elevated risk was consistently observed across manual, mixed and non-manual occupational groups. The fraction of lost-time compensation claims that can be attributed to elevated risk of work injury in evening or night work schedules is 12.5% for women and 5.8% for men.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the high prevalence of employment in non-daytime work schedules in developed economies, the work injury hazards associated with evening and night schedules remain relatively invisible. This study has demonstrated the feasibility of using administrative data sources to enhance capacity to conduct surveillance of work injury risk by time of day. More sophisticated aetiological research is needed to understand the specific mechanisms of hazards associated with non-regular work hours.

Risk factors for work-related injuries among university student employees

This study identified contributing risk factors in the occurrence of work-related injuries among university students employed at a single university. Four hundred seventy-six student employees completed the survey in March 2010. The majority of respondents were female (66%) and the average age of all respondents was 20.7 yr. A pre-validated survey instrument was taken from the Youth Employment and School Study (YESS) and contained scales for the risk factors of interest. Results show significant differences in the amount of work-school conflict, boredom, workplace hazards, and workload between injured and non-injured groups. Odds ratios show that physical hazards and heavy workload have a significant two-fold increase on the likelihood of 1-3 injuries (OR=1.80, 1.09-3.00; OR=1.72, 1.12-2.60), and a 2 to 3 fold increase in 4 or more injuries (OR=2.94, 1.65-5.24; OR=2.34,1.51-3.64). Good supervisor relations appear to reduce injury risk (OR=0.48, 0.25-0.91; OR=0.59, 0.32-1.09). Reducing workload stress, teaching students how to manage the workload, reducing exposure to physical hazards, and providing examples of standard work practices may reduce the number of injuries seen in the population.

The impact of aging on work disability and return to work: insights from workers' compensation claim records

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of an aging workforce on (1) the incidence of work-related injury or disease and (2) the return-to-work (RTW) process.

METHODS

Workers' compensation claims (from 2001 to 2004) from Victoria, Australia (n = 59,525) were analyzed. Time off work was defined in terms of time until first RTW, number of workdays compensated, and work disability recurrences.

RESULTS

The incidence of lost-time claims was 7.54 per 1000 worker-years; incidence increased with age to reach a maximum at ages 50 to 54 years. Days until first return also increased with age, as did the sum of compensated days. Recurrences were common (37%) and also increased with age.

CONCLUSIONS

The aging workforce will lead to substantial increase in work disability. Besides general disease and injury preventative practices, policies could aim to provide tailored RTW programs for aging workers.

Descriptive epidemiology of serious work-related injuries in British Columbia, Canada

Objective

This study examined the rates and distribution of serious work-related injuries by demographic, work and injury characteristics in British Columbia, Canada from 2002–2008, using population-based data.

Methods

Claims for workers with a serious injury were extracted from workers’ compensation data. Serious injuries were defined by long duration, high cost, serious medical diagnosis, or fatality. Workforce estimates were used to calculate stratum-specific rates. Rate-ratios (RR) and 95% CIs were calculated using negative binomial regression for the comparison of rates, adjusting for gender, age and occupation.

Results

Women had a lower overall serious injury rate compared to men (RR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.87–0.99). The 35–44 age group had the highest overall rate compared to the youngest age group. The rate for severe strains/sprains was similarly high for men and women in the 35–44 age group, although there was a differential pattern by gender for other injury types: the rate of fracture was similar across age groups for men, but increased with age for women (RR: 2.7, 95% CI: 2.2–3.3); and the rate of severe falls increased with age for men and women, with a larger three-fold increase for older women (men: RR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.7–2.1; women: RR: 3.2, 95% CI: 2.7–3.7).

Conclusions

The risk of serious injuries is higher among specific age groups with different patterns emerging for men and women. Variations persisted within similar injury types and occupation groups in our adjusted models. These results provide evidence for the burden of serious injuries and a basis for future analytic research. Given projected demographic shifts and increasing workforce participation of older workers, intervention programs should be carefully implemented with consideration to demographic groups at risk for serious injuries in the workplace.

Incidence of work injuries amongst Danish adolescents and their association with work environment factors

BACKGROUND

The objective was to examine the incidence of work accidents that required medical attention among Danish adolescents and to identify possible work environment factors associated with such accidents.

METHODS

We collected information in two questionnaire rounds (2004 and 2007) from a birth cohort comprising all adolescents born in 1989 (n = 3,687) living in Ringkjøbing County, Denmark. The questionnaire contained items on self-reported number of accidents and number of working hours in both rounds and on work environment factors in the second round.

RESULTS

Approximately 5% of the adolescents who held a job, experienced a work injury at the age of 17. This equals an incidence of 65 accidents per million working hours. Most adolescents had decent working conditions, although nearly half reported that their work was heavy, monotonous or psychologically demanding. Heavy work, high psychological demands and low social support increased the risk of experiencing work injuries after adjustment for a number of factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of work injuries among adolescents appears to be higher than the incidence among their older colleagues. Lack of social support from management significantly raised adolescents' risk of experiencing a work injury. This suggests that more direct supervision may be a good way of preventing accidents in this age group.

Targeting prevention programs for young and new healthcare workers: what is the association of age and job tenure with occupational injury in healthcare?

BACKGROUND

previous evidence suggests young and new workers experience an increased risk of occupational injury. We sought to confirm this observation for healthcare workers.

METHODS

a retrospective cohort of 42,771 healthcare workers (88.2% women) was constructed from an active injury surveillance database. Over 2 years, incidence rates and crude and adjusted relative risks for occupational injury were compared between age groups and job tenures.

RESULTS

there were opposite trends in the two main types of injuries which cancelled each other: new workers and young workers had a decreased (not increased) risk of musculoskeletal sprain and strain injuries (adjusted RR [95% CI] for new hires was 0.60 [0.48, 0.73], and 0.85 [0.73, 0.98] for workers <25 years old); but an increased risk of cut and puncture injuries (1.25 [1.07, 1.45] for new hires, 1.28 [0.99, 1.67] for workers <25 years old).

CONCLUSIONS

contrary to studies of other sectors, younger age and shorter tenure were not universal risk factors for occupational injuries in the female dominated healthcare sector. Young and new workers had increased risk of cuts and punctures, but a decreased risk of musculoskeletal injuries.

Occupational injuries to Oregon workers 24 years and younger: An analysis of workers' compensation claims, 2000-2007

BACKGROUND

Occupational injuries to adolescents and young adults are a known public health problem. We sought to describe and estimate rates of occupational injuries to workers younger than 25 years of age in Oregon during an 8-year period.

METHODS

Oregon workers' compensation disabling claims data (n = 23,325) and one commercial insurance carrier's non-disabling claims data (n = 16,153) were analyzed. Total employment from the Local Employment Dynamics of the U.S. Census Bureau and the Oregon Labor Market Information System was used as a denominator for rates.

RESULTS

Injuries were more frequent among 22-24 year olds and among males, though females accounted for a higher proportion of claims in the youngest age group. The most common injury type was a sprain or strain, but lacerations and burns were more frequently reported in the 14-18 year olds. When non-disabling claims were included, the rate of injury for 14-18 year olds doubled. The overall rate of injury was 122.7/10,000 workers, but was higher in the construction, manufacturing, and transportation sectors, and in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector for older teens and young adults.

CONCLUSIONS

Young workers continue to be at risk for occupational injuries. Our results show that specific interventions may be needed for older teen and young adult workers to reduce their rate of injury.

Research opportunities using administrative databases and existing surveys for new knowledge in occupational health and safety in Canada, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia

In Canada, many datasets are initially collected for purposes other than occupational health and safety (OHS) research. These include administrative health care billing records, pharmaceutical records, vital statistics, provincial cancer registries and workers' compensation claims data. In addition, many national and provincial health surveys, while not focused specifically on occupational health and safety, collect data on the health status and health determinants of populations, and such data can be used for investigating OHS issues among Canadian workers. This paper provides examples of the use of administrative and survey data for OHS research projects from the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia to illustrate the potential of such data. These three provinces have a long history of using administrative and survey data for OHS research and have developed capacity in this regard for improving access to data, for linkage of records across databases and for developing methods to answer OHS questions. As research using these data sources expands, a consistent understanding within the work and health research community must be forged concerning the strengths and limitations of these data resources and their comparability.

Occupational injuries in children and adolescents in emergency services of Aracaju, Brazil

BACKGROUND

The incidence of occupational injuries among children and adolescents is not well known in Brazil. This study aims to identify occurrences and characteristics of occupational injuries in children and adolescents at the two major public emergency hospitals in Aracaju, Brazil.

METHODS

In a cross sectional study, all children and adolescents (5-17 years) attending the services because of accidents of external cause in October-November 2006 and May-June 2007 were evaluated. The patients and their responsibles were interviewed to obtain information about the injury, family and patient characteristics and relation to work in the last 7 days. Data were analysed in number and percentages using descriptive statistics and chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS

There were 917 patients with injuries of external cause in the period studied. Seventy-one (8%) had worked in the last 7 days and in 40 (4%) the injury was related to work, with 2 (0.21%) deaths. Occupational injuries occurred more frequently in boys (95%); in the 14- to 17-year-old age group (77%); in agricultural (46%) and commercial activities (18%); to help with family budget (54%); without any safety training (73.5%) and not using personal protective equipment (94%). Main mechanisms of injuries were transportation incidents (42.5%) and contact with tools and equipment (27.5%). Injuries were mostly fractures (37.5%) and lacerations (22.5%). Upper extremities were injured in 49% of cases and the lower extremities in 26.5%. Comparison between the two groups (accident related or not related to labour) shows that there were significant differences for gender, age group, the main mechanism of injury and the part of the body injured, but not for the nature of injury.

CONCLUSION

Working children and adolescents have been injured during their occupational activities and work-related injuries represent 4% of injuries of external causes in the emergency departments of Aracaju with 5% lethality.

Relationship of work injury severity to family member hospitalization

BACKGROUND

Working while under stress due to a family health event may result in injuries of greater severity. Work leave might mitigate such consequences.

DATA AND METHODS

Workers' compensation data for 33,817 injured workers and inpatient medical data for 76,077 members of their families were extracted from the 2002-2005 Thomson Reuters Medstat MarketScan Health and Productivity Management (HPM) and Commercial Claims and Encounter (CCE) datasets. Using a probit model, the impact of family hospitalization on the probability that a subsequent injury would be severe (above average indemnity costs) was estimated, adjusting for age, sex, hourly versus salaried status, industry sector, state, and family size.

RESULTS

Family hospitalization within 15 days before injury increased the likelihood that the injury would be severe (from 12.5% to 21.5%) and was associated with 40% higher indemnity costs and 50% higher medical costs. Hospitalizations over 30 days before injury had no impact.

CONCLUSION

The observed higher severity of work injuries following family hospitalizations suggests additional analyses may find higher injury rates as well, and that timely family leaves might help prevent severe workplace injuries.

Working conditions and health status of child workers: cross-sectional study of the students at an apprenticeship school in Kocaeli

BACKGROUND

Child labor remains a widespread phenomenon in today's world. The purpose of the present study was to describe the working conditions and health status of child workers in Kocaeli.

METHODS

A cross-sectional research study has been carried out on 365 working children at the Kocaeli Occupational Training Center. Data were collected on working conditions, smoking habits, work accidents, perceived health status and psychological status using General Health Questionnaire-12. In order to evaluate the physical growth of children, their height and weight were measured.

RESULTS

Most working children usually have a low level of education, low income and extended families. The mean age for children to start working was 14.8 +/- 1.5 years and their daily working periods were 11.3 +/- 1.3 h on average. Girls were found to have more psychopathology compared to boys on the GHQ-12 and the results were statistically significant. The height z score was less than -2 SD at 6.9% while the weight z score was less than -2 SD at 1.9%. According to body mass index (BMI) percentiles range, 3% of children were found to be underweight. A statistically significant and negative directional correlation was detected between body mass index z scores with age and daily working periods. Statistically significant but weak correlations were detected between height for age z scores and the starting age of work and also between weight for age z scores and chronological age.

CONCLUSIONS

Both the mental and the physical health of children were found to be negatively affected, by having to work at an early age, and by long working hours. For this reason, immediate and direct intervention should be taken to eradicate child labor, and protect children from unsafe and exploitative working conditions.

Supervising structured learning experiences for students in New Jersey: training teachers in school-based occupational health and safety practice

This article describes the structured learning experience (SLE) supervisory training curriculum coordinated by the New Jersey Safe Schools Program, a project supported by the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education. The New Jersey SLE supervisory training program comprises training courses and resources for teachers who supervise secondary school minors (students aged 16 to 18 years and special needs students up to age 21) enrolled in various programs--college preparatory, general education, career and technical education, career academies, and special education. One goal of the program is to enhance knowledge and awareness of legal and scientific occupational safety and health principles to ensure safe, rewarding work experiences inside and outside classrooms. This article describes our experiences and data available from November 2005 to January 2008. We summarize relevant federal and state laws and agencies; potential exposure agents and microenvironments of concern; stakeholders and training partners; process and immediate impact data from SLE supervisory trainings; and lessons learned to inform states that may adopt similar strategies or regulations.

Educational status and work injury among young people: refining the targeting of prevention resources

OBJECTIVES

To examine the risk of work injuries among young workers out of school compared to those working while still in school.

METHODS

The 12,506 fifteen to twenty-four year old workers were part of a national survey that used a multi-staged, stratified sampling procedure. Respondents were divided into four groups based on current school activity (i.e., out of school vs. in school) and educational level (i.e., not having completed high school vs. completed high school). A multivariate logistic regression was conducted using a weighted bootstrap method for variance estimation on occurrence of a work injury that was medically attended.

RESULTS

Those young workers out of school and not having completed high school (8.2 per 100 full-time equivalents [FTEs]) and those out of school with a high school degree (5.1 per 100 FTEs) had higher unadjusted rates of work injuries compared to those workers in school not having completed high school (3.1 per 100 FTEs) or those in school with a high school degree (2.7 per 100 FTEs). These differences persisted in a multivariate regression with demographic and work-related covariates included. In addition, young people out of school reported a different work environment as evidenced by decreased social support at work.

CONCLUSIONS

The elevated injury risk of young workers out of school suggests that school-based work safety education programs need to be supplemented with other prevention strategies that improve the fit between these young workers' experience and capabilities and the work environment.

Antecedents of Work Disability Absence Among Young People: A Prospective Study

PURPOSE

This study examined the relative contribution of individual factors, job characteristics, and temporal factors to the likelihood of lost days of work due to a work-related disability or illness among Canadians 16 to 24 years old.

METHODS

Using a prospective Canadian survey with up to 6 years of follow-up, the job-based analyses included 45,125 job episodes generated from a representative sample of young workers. A hazard model on work disability absence included the following predictors: age, gender, physical demands of the job (manual, nonmanual, and mixed), hours worked, highest education achieved, multiple concurrent job, job tenure, school activity, and living in a rural or urban area.

RESULTS

The overall 1-week work disability absence rate was 0.78 per 1000 person-months. In the multivariate model, young workers holding manual jobs were 2.65 times more likely to have a work disability absence compared with young workers with nonmanual jobs. Also, those with less than a high school education were almost 3 times more likely to have a work disability absence. Other demographic factors such as gender were not independently associated with work disability absences.

CONCLUSIONS

This prospective study finds that job characteristics are the predominant risk factors for work disability absences for young workers. Young workers with less education appear to be particularly vulnerable, possibly because of inadequate job skills or particularly dangerous job tasks.

Adolescent occupational injuries and workplace risks: an analysis of Oregon workers' compensation data 1990-1997

PURPOSE

Injuries to adolescents from occupational activities has been recognized as a significant public health concern. The objective of this study was to quantify adolescent injury rates, analyze risk factors, and measure the severity of injuries sustained using Oregon workers' compensation data.

METHODS

From 1990-1997, a total of 8060 workers' compensation claims, submitted by claimants 16-19 years old, were accepted by Oregon and used in these analyses. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics were used to derive injury rates.

RESULTS

An overall estimated claim rate of 134.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] 124.9-143.6) per 10,000 adolescent workers was found, with males having over twice the rate of females. The total average annual claim cost was $3,168,457, representing $3145 per claim. The average total temporary disability period per claim was 22.3 days. Precision production workers had the highest claim rate of 296.2 (95% CI 178.9-413.4) and highest associated costs ($8266) for all occupations, whereas those in the farming/fishing/forestry occupation had the longest average periods of indemnification with 31.6 days. Day shift workers had the highest claim rates and most severe injuries relative to other shifts.

CONCLUSION

The injury rates found among adolescent workers demonstrates that continued safety interventions and increased training are needed. Because of high claim rate and injury severity, particular attention should be focused on adolescents in food service, manufacturing, and agricultural occupations. Understanding the differences of adolescent circadian rhythm patterns in establishing work schedules and supervisory practices could also prove valuable for decreasing injury risk.

An ecological study of regional variation in work injuries among young workers

BACKGROUND

The investigation of geographic variation in occupational injuries has received little attention. Young workers 15 to 24 years are of particular concern because they consistently show elevated occupational injury rates compared to older workers. The present study sought to: (a) to describe the geographic variation of work injuries; (b) to determine whether geographic variation remained after controlling for relevant demographic and job characteristics; (c) to identify the region-level factors that correlate with the geographic variation.

METHODS

Using workers compensation claims and census data, we estimated claim rates per 100 full-time equivalents for 15 to 24 year olds in 46 regions in Ontario. A total of 21 region-level indicators were derived primarily from Census and Labour Force Survey data to reflect social and material deprivation of the region as well as demographic and employment characteristics of youth living in those areas.

RESULTS

Descriptive findings showed substantial geographic variation in young worker injury rates, even after controlling for several job and demographic variables. Region-level characteristics such as greater residential stability were associated with low work injury rates. Also, regions with the lowest claim rates tended to have proportionally fewer cuts and burns than high-claim-rate regions.

CONCLUSION

The finding of substantial geographic variation in youth claim rates even after controlling for demographic and job factors can aid in targeting prevention resource. The association between region-level indicators such as residential stability and youth work injury suggests that work injury prevention strategies can be integrated with other local economic development measures. The findings partially support the notion that work safety measures may be unevenly distributed with respect to regional socio-economic factors.

Applying the compound Poisson process model to the reporting of injury-related mortality rates

Injury-related mortality rate estimates are often analyzed under the assumption that case counts follow a Poisson distribution. Certain types of injury incidents occasionally involve multiple fatalities, however, resulting in dependencies between cases that are not reflected in the simple Poisson model and which can affect even basic statistical analyses. This paper explores the compound Poisson process model as an alternative, emphasizing adjustments to some commonly used interval estimators for population-based rates and rate ratios. The adjusted estimators involve relatively simple closed-form computations, which in the absence of multiple-case incidents reduce to familiar estimators based on the simpler Poisson model. Summary data from the National Violent Death Reporting System are referenced in several examples demonstrating application of the proposed methodology.