Do older workers suffer more workplace injuries? A systematic review

To compare fatal and hospitalized nonfatal work-related traumatic injuries by occupation and cause. Fatal and hospitalized nonfatal injuries occurring from 1991-1995 were identified from Washington State workers' compensation claims data. Nonfatal injuries were classified as severe if they had at least one of the following criteria: a brain or spinal cord injury, an Injury Severity Score of >/=16, or were hospitalized for more than 7 days. The frequency and rate of fatal and severe nonfatal injuries were then described by industrial risk class and cause. The study identified 335 fatal injuries and 4,405 hospitalized nonfatal injuries, of which 1,105 were classified as severe. Tree topping and pruning, carnival work, roofing, and metal siding and gutters risk classes had several severe nonfatal injuries, but few, if any, fatalities. Causes of fatal and severe nonfatal injuries were notably different for the roofing, restaurant, and orchard workers risk classes. The inclusion of severe hospitalized injuries in occupational injury surveillance systems will provide a broader view of high-risk occupations and profile of injury causation with which to direct occupational injury prevention efforts.

Have young workers more injuries than older ones? An international literature review

Pedestrian and bicycle plans and the incidence of crash-related injuries

Commercial fishing is a high-risk occupation. The West Coast Dungeness crab fishery has a high fatality rate; however, nonfatal injuries have not been previously studied. The purpose of this report was to describe the characteristics of fatal and nonfatal traumatic occupational injuries and associated hazards in this fleet during 2002-2014. Data on fatal injuries were obtained from a surveillance system managed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Data on nonfatal injuries were manually abstracted from Coast Guard investigation reports and entered into a study database. Descriptive statistics were used to characterise demographics, injury characteristics, and work processes performed. Twenty-eight fatal and 45 nonfatal injuries were reported between 2002 and 2014 in the Dungeness crab fleet. Most fatalities were due to vessel disasters, and many nonfatal injuries occurred on-deck when fishermen were working with gear, particularly when hauling the gear (47%). The most frequently reported injuries affected the upper extremities (48%), and fractures were the most commonly reported injury type (40%). The overall fatality rate during this time period was 209 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers and the rate of nonfatal injury was 3.4 per 1,000 full-time equivalent workers. Dungeness crab fishermen are at relatively high risk for fatal injuries. Nonfatal injuries were limited to reported information, which hampers efforts to accurately estimate nonfatal injury risk and understand fishing hazards. Further research is needed to identify work tasks and other hazards that cause nonfatal injuries in this fleet. Engaging fishermen directly may help develop approaches for injury prevention.

Worldwide ageing and thus, workforce ageing, is a concern for both developed and developing nations. The aim of the current research was to determine, through a systematic literature review, the effects of age in three dimensions that are often used to define or assess productivity at work. PICO framework was used to generate search strategies, inclusion criteria and terms. Scopus and PubMed databases were used. Peer-reviewed journal papers written in English and published (or in press) between January 2014 and December 2018 were included. After filtering through inclusion criteria, 74 papers were included in the review. Considering productivity, 41%of the findings showed no differences between younger and older workers, 31%report better productivity of younger workers and 28%reported that older workers had better productivity than younger workers. Performance was better in older workers (58%), presenteeism generally showed no significant differences between age groups (61%). Absenteeism was the only outcome where younger workers outperformed older workers (43%). Overall, there was no difference in productivity between older and younger workers. Older workers performed better than younger workers, but had more absenteeism, while presenteeism showed no differences. As ageing has come to workplaces, holistic approaches addressing total health are suggested to overcome the worldwide workforce ageing phenomenon.

This study examines recent trends and patterns in fall fatalities in the U.S. construction industry to determine whether fatal falls among older workers are different from younger workers in this industry. Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the U.S. construction industry. Given the increasingly aging workforce in construction, it is important to assess the risk of falls among older construction workers. Fatality data were obtained from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries for the years 1992 through 2008. Denominators for death rates were estimated from the Current Population Survey. Stratified and multivariate analyses were performed to examine whether there are differences in fatal falls between older workers (> or = 55 years) and younger workers (16-54 years). Fatal falls in nonconstruction industries were excluded from this study. Older workers had higher rates of fatal falls than younger workers; results were significant in 11 of 14 construction occupations. Regression analysis indicated that older decedents had a higher likelihood that work-related death was caused by a fall, after controlling for major demographic and employment factors (odds ratio = 1.50, confidence interval [1.30, 1.72]). Falls from roofs accounted for one third of construction fatal falls, but falls from ladders caused a larger proportion of deadly falls in older decedents than in younger decedents. Older workers have a higher likelihood of dying from a fall. Roofs and ladders are particularly risky for older construction workers. As the construction workforce ages, there is an urgent need to enhance fall prevention efforts, provide work accommodations, and match work capabilities to job duties.

Injuries pose a threat to health and well-being and are a major source of medical spending in the United States for children and youth 0 to 21 years of age. This study provides national estimates of the incidence of fatal and nonfatal childhood injuries and comprehensive cost estimates by age, gender, race, family income, metropolitan residence, and place of incident. Eight years of National Health Interview Survey data (1987 to 1994) were used to estimate nonfatal injury incidence rates among children and youth 21 years of age and younger. The survey documents all medically attended or temporarily disabling injuries within the 2 weeks before the interview. Injuries were defined as diagnoses 800-995 in the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, excluding late effects cases. Fatality counts came from 1994 Vital Statistics. Estimates of the costs of injuries (1994 US dollars) included medical spending, lost future work, and lost quality of life. Medical payments included spending on hospital and professional services, rehabilitation, prescriptions, home health care, and medical equipment. Lost future work and lost quality of life consisted of the present value of work that children will be unable to do as adults if they are killed or permanently disabled combined with the pain and suffering that children and their families experience because of the injury. Cost estimates excluded parental income losses from work missed, property damage, legal costs, and insurance claims-adjustment costs related to permanent disability and death. INCIDENCE. A total of 3,073 injury episodes for 3,058 children were obtained from 8 years of National Health Interview Survey data. This represents 20.6 million children in the United States who were injured each year, or approximately 25 per 100 children. This translates to 56,000 nonfatal injury episodes each day that require medical attention or limit children's activity. For fatal injuries, the rate was 38 children per 100,000. The nonfatal injury rate for males (mean: 30; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 29,31) was higher than the rate for females (mean: 20; 95% CI: 19,21); the fatal injury rate for males was more than twice that of females. Injury rates increased with age. Children 0 to 9 years of age had the lowest rate of nonfatal injury. Rates for nonfatal injury among children 0 to 4 years of age were lower (mean: 20; 95% CI: 18,21) than those for the 5 to 9 age group (mean: 22; 95% CI: 20, 23). However, the rate for fatal injuries (21 per 100,000) among the 0 to 4 age group was higher than the 5 to 9 age group (9 per 100,000). Nonfatal injury rates for children 10 years of age and older were higher, with the highest estimated injury rates in late adolescence (15-19 years; mean: 31; 95% CI: 29,33). Nonfatal injuries occurred at higher rates among white children (mean: 27; 95% CI: 26,28) than black children (mean: 19; 95% CI: 17,21) or children from other racial backgrounds (mean: 13; 95% CI: 10,16). The reverse was true for fatal injuries, with higher fatality rates among black children (59 per 100,000). Children in families with incomes under $5,000 had the highest rate of nonfatal injury (mean: 31; 95% CI: 27,35), followed by those in the $35,000 to $49,999 income range (mean: 25; 95% CI: 23,27). The rate of nonfatal injuries in the other income brackets were fairly similar, with those in the highest income bracket having the lowest rate (mean: 14; 95% CI: 13,15). Fatality rates by family income were not available. The nonfatal injury rate in nonmetropolitan areas (mean: 10; 95% CI: 9,11) was higher than in metropolitan areas (mean: 8; 95% CI: 7,8); the same was true for fatal injury rates (33 per 100,000 in nonmetropolitan areas vs 25 in metropolitan areas). Males consistently had higher injury rates than females across all places of injury. Youth 15 years of age and older had higher rates for injuries that occur on the public roads, in recreatio

OBJECTIVESTo describe work related fatal injuries to agricultural workers in New Zealand to identify priority areas for further research and injury control measures.METHODSInjury deaths in New Zealanders aged 15–84 inclusive...

Background. Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics serve as primary providers of urgent medical care and are integral components in disaster response. They are at risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries during these activities. Objectives. To describe fatal and nonfatal injuries occurring to EMTs and paramedics. Methods. We analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and the occupational supplement to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS–Work) for the period 2003–2007. Results. We identified 99,400 (95% confidence interval [CI], 71,700, 127,100) nonfatal injuries treated in emergency departments and 65 fatal injuries from the period 2003–2007. Most fatalities were related to motor vehicle incidents (45%) and aircraft crashes (31%). Among compensated EMTs and paramedics, the rate of fatal injuries was 6.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalents. Nonfatal injuries were primarily associated with stress on some part of the body from motion or overexertion (33%). Among all nonfatal injuries, the most common diagnosis was sprains and strains (38%). Conclusions. Emergency medical technicians and paramedics have higher fatal injury rates when compared with all workers. To reduce fatalities, targeted efforts should be made to prevent ground and air transportation incidents. Reducing nonfatal injuries may be accomplished by developing and evaluating interventions to prevent bodily stress and overexertion injuries.

Although fatal work-related assault assault injury rates are routinely reported in the United States, reports of non-fatal injuries are not routinely examined. Non-fatal workplace assault injuries can be reported through many agencies. One of the most common reporting mechanisms in California is the Employer's Report of Occupational Illness and Injury. Employer's Reports filed from October 1, 1994 through January 31, 1995 in the state of California were the source of workplace assault information for this study. All reports indicating an assault-related injury were identified and characterized by gender and occupation of the victim, type of assault and weapon used, and industry. Annual rates were determined based on the number of estimated annual reports and the civilian working population. The estimated annual rate of workplace assault injuries for California based on Employer's Reports is 72.9 per 100,000 workers, which is approximately 50 times the fatal rate. Rates differed by industry, with retail, hospital, transportation and police workers exhibiting the highest rates. Assaults were predominantly Type I, which involve criminal activity, and Type II, which involve an assault by a client, patient, or inmate. The rates of non-fatal work-related assault injury are much greater and have different characteristics than fatal injuries. These non-fatal injury patterns need to be considered when estimating the burden of assault injuries on businesses, and can help identify the most effective prevention strategies.

BackgroundThe New Zealand (NZ) workforce is experiencing rapid demographic ageing and older workers (aged 55+ years) are a fast growing segment of the working population. Few analyses have examined the...

Each year in the United States, an estimated one in six residents requires medical treatment for an injury, and an estimated one in 10 residents visits a hospital emergency department (ED) for treatment of a nonfatal injury. This report summarizes national data on fatal and nonfatal injuries in the United States for 2001, by age; sex; mechanism, intent, and type of injury; and other selected characteristics.January-December 2001.Fatal injury data are derived from CDC's National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) and include information obtained from official death certificates throughout the United States. Nonfatal injury data, other than gunshot injuries, are from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP), a national stratified probability sample of 66 U.S. hospital EDs. Nonfatal firearm and BB/pellet gunshot injury data are from CDC's Firearm Injury Surveillance Study, being conducted by using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a national stratified probability sample of 100 U.S. hospital EDs.In 2001, approximately 157,078 persons in the United States (age-adjusted injury death rate: 54.9/100,000 population; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 54.6-55.2/100,000) died from an injury, and an estimated 29,721,821 persons with nonfatal injuries (age-adjusted nonfatal injury rate: 10404.3/100,000; 95% CI = 10074.9-10733.7/ 100,000) were treated in U.S. hospital EDs. The overall injury-related case-fatality rate (CFR) was 0.53%, but CFRs varied substantially by age (rates for older persons were higher than rates for younger persons); sex (rates were higher for males than females); intent (rates were higher for self-harm-related than for assault and unintentional injuries); and mechanism (rates were highest for drowning, suffocation/inhalation, and firearm-related injury). Overall, fatal and nonfatal injury rates were higher for males than females and disproportionately affected younger and older persons. For fatal injuries, 101,537 (64.6%) were unintentional, and 51,326 (32.7%) were violence-related, including homicides, legal intervention, and suicide. For nonfatal injuries, 27,551,362 (92.7%) were unintentional, and 2,155,912 (7.3%) were violence-related, including assaults, legal intervention, and self-harm. Overall, the leading cause of fatal injury was unintentional motor-vehicle-occupant injuries. The leading cause of nonfatal injury was unintentional falls; however, leading causes vary substantially by sex and age. For nonfatal injuries, the majority of injured persons were treated in hospital EDs for lacerations (25.8%), strains/sprains (20.2%), and contusions/abrasions (18.3%); the majority of injuries were to the head/neck region (29.5%) and the extremities (47.9%). Overall, 5.5% of those treated for nonfatal injuries in hospital EDs were hospitalized or transferred to another facility for specialized care.This report provides the first summary report of fatal and nonfatal injuries that combines death data from NVSS and nonfatal injury data from NEISS-AIP. These data indicate that mortality and morbidity associated with injuries affect all segments of the population, although the leading external causes of injuries vary substantially by age and sex of injured persons. Injury prevention efforts should include consideration of the substantial differences in fatal and nonfatal injury rates, CFRs, and the leading causes of unintentional and violence-related injuries, in regard to the sex and age of injured persons.

The electric power industry represents a unique subset of the U.S. workforce. We aimed to evaluate the relationships between occupational category, nature of injury, and injury severity among electric power industry workers. The Occupational Health and Safety Database (1995-2013) was used to calculate injury rates, assess patterns of injury severity, and identify at-risk occupations in this population. Over the surveillance period, a total of 63,193 injuries were reported. Overall, and severe injury rates were 3.20 and 0.52 per 100 employee-years, respectively. The fatal injury rate was 3.29 per 100,000 employee-years. Line workers experienced the highest risk for fatal injuries and second highest for non-fatal severe injuries, following meter readers. The most severe non-fatal injuries were hernia and rupture; multiple injuries; and CTD/RSI. Fatal injuries were most commonly associated with vehicle collisions and contact with electric current. Industry specific surveillance and interventions tailored to high-risk occupations are needed to further reduce severe injuries in this population. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:948-958, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Construction workers are frequently exposed to various types of injury-inducing hazards. There are a number of injury prevention interventions, yet their effectiveness is uncertain. To assess the effects of interventions for preventing injuries in construction workers. We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group's specialised register, CENTRAL (issue 3), MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO up to April 2017. The searches were not restricted by language or publication status. We also handsearched the reference lists of relevant papers and reviews. Randomised controlled trials, controlled before-after (CBA) studies and interrupted time-series (ITS) of all types of interventions for preventing fatal and non-fatal injuries among workers at construction sites. Two review authors independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed their risk of bias. For ITS studies, we re-analysed the studies and used an initial effect, measured as the change in injury rate in the year after the intervention, as well as a sustained effect, measured as the change in time trend before and after the intervention. Seventeen studies (14 ITS and 3 CBA studies) met the inclusion criteria in this updated version of the review. The ITS studies evaluated the effects of: introducing or changing regulations that laid down safety and health requirements for the construction sites (nine studies), a safety campaign (two studies), a drug-free workplace programme (one study), a training programme (one study), and safety inspections (one study) on fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries. One CBA study evaluated the introduction of occupational health services such as risk assessment and health surveillance, one evaluated a training programme and one evaluated the effect of a subsidy for upgrading to safer scaffoldings. The overall risk of bias of most of the included studies was high, as it was uncertain for the ITS studies whether the intervention was independent from other changes and thus could be regarded as the main reason of change in the outcome. Therefore, we rated the quality of the evidence as very low for all comparisons.Compulsory interventionsRegulatory interventions at national or branch level may or may not have an initial effect (effect size (ES) of -0.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) -2.08 to 1.41) and may or may not have a sustained effect (ES -0.03; 95% CI -0.30 to 0.24) on fatal and non-fatal injuries (9 ITS studies) due to highly inconsistent results (I² = 98%). Inspections may or may not have an effect on non-fatal injuries (ES 0.07; 95% CI -2.83 to 2.97; 1 ITS study).Educational interventionsSafety training interventions may result in no significant reduction of non-fatal injuries (1 ITS study and 1 CBA study).Informational interventionsWe found no studies that had evaluated informational interventions alone such as campaigns for risk communication.Persuasive interventionsWe found no studies that had evaluated persuasive interventions alone such as peer feedback on workplace actions to increase acceptance of safe working methods.Facilitative interventionsMonetary subsidies to companies may lead to a greater decrease in non-fatal injuries from falls to a lower level than no subsidies (risk ratio (RR) at follow-up: 0.93; 95% CI 0.30 to 2.91 from RR 3.89 at baseline; 1 CBA study).Multifaceted interventionsA safety campaign intervention may result in an initial (ES -1.82; 95% CI -2.90 to -0.74) and sustained (ES -1.30; 95% CI -1.79 to -0.81) decrease in injuries at the company level (1 ITS study), but not at the regional level (1 ITS study). A multifaceted drug-free workplace programme at the company level may reduce non-fatal injuries in the year following implementation by -7.6 per 100 person-years (95% CI -11.2 to -4.0) and in the years thereafter by -2.0 per 100 person-years (95% CI -3.5 to -0.5) (1 ITS study). Introducing occupational health services may result in no decrease in fatal or non-fatal injuries (one CBA study). The vast majority of interventions to adopt safety measures recommended by standard texts on safety, consultants and safety courses have not been adequately evaluated. There is very low-quality evidence that introducing regulations as such may or may not result in a decrease in fatal and non-fatal injuries. There is also very low-quality evidence that regionally oriented safety campaigns, training, inspections or the introduction of occupational health services may not reduce non-fatal injuries in construction companies. There is very low-quality evidence that company-oriented safety interventions such as a multifaceted safety campaign, a multifaceted drug workplace programme and subsidies for replacement of scaffoldings may reduce non-fatal injuries among construction workers. More studies, preferably cluster-randomised controlled trials, are needed to evaluate different strategies to increase the employers' and workers' adherence to the safety measures prescribed by regulation.

The growing age diversity in organizations in most industrialized economies provides opportunities to motivate both older and younger workers by enabling them to benefit from each other through knowledge transfer. In this study, we integrate self-determination theory with socioemotional selectivity theory to argue that the alignment between workers' age and their roles in knowledge transfer can generate motivational benefits for them. More specifically, we argue that receiving knowledge from coworkers (i.e., actor knowledge receiving) is more closely aligned with younger workers' goal priorities, whereas having coworkers receive one's knowledge (i.e., partner knowledge receiving) is more closely aligned with older workers' goal priorities. We expect that these motivational benefits manifest in younger and older workers' need fulfillment at work, which can shape their subsequent intention to remain with the organization. We used an actor-partner interdependence model to test our hypotheses with time-lagged data from a sample of 173 age-diverse coworker dyads and found support for most of our hypotheses. The age-specific motivational perspective that we adopt has implications for self-determination theory and research on knowledge transfer and mentoring. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).