Prioritizing industries for occupational injury prevention and research in the Services Sector in Washington State, 2002-2010.

Naomi J Anderson,David K Bonauto,Darrin Adams

doi:10.1186/s12995-014-0037-2

Abstract

BackgroundThe Services Sector, as defined by the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), is comprised of a diverse industry mix and its workers face a variety of occupational exposures and hazards. The objective of this study was to identify high-risk industry groups within the Services Sector for prevention targeting.MethodsCompensable Washington State workers’ compensation claims from the Services Sector from 2002 through 2010 were analyzed. A “prevention index” (PI), the average of the rank orders of claim count and claim incidence rate, was used to rank 87 Services Sector industry groups by seven injury types: Work- Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs), Fall to Lower Level, Fall on Same Level, Struck By/Against, Caught In/Under/Between, Motor Vehicle, and Overexertion. In the PI rankings, industry groups with high injury burdens appear higher ranked than industry groups with low counts or low rates of injury, indicating a need for prioritizing injury prevention efforts in these groups.ResultsIn the Services Sector, these 7 injury types account for 84% of compensable claims in WA. The industry groups highest ranked by PI across the injury types included: Services to Buildings and Dwellings; Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support; and Waste Collection. WMSDs had the highest compensable claims rates.ConclusionsServices is a large sector of the economy, and the substantial number, rate, and cost of occupational injuries within this sector should be addressed. Several Services Sector industry groups are at high risk for a variety of occupational injuries. Using a PI to rank industry groups based on their injury risk provides information with which to guide prevention efforts.

Highlights

The Services Sector, as defined by the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), is comprised of a diverse industry mix and its workers face a variety of occupational exposures and hazards
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) classifies establishments into industries based on their business activities [8]
Washington’s workers’ compensation system In Washington State, non-federal employers are required to obtain workers’ compensation insurance through the Department of Labor and Industries’ (L&I) industrial insurance system, unless they qualify to self-insure, or are covered by an alternative WC system (e.g. Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Program)

Summary

Introduction

The Services Sector, as defined by the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), is comprised of a diverse industry mix and its workers face a variety of occupational exposures and hazards. The objective of this study was to identify high-risk industry groups within the Services Sector for prevention targeting. In order to effectively prevent occupational injuries, employers, policymakers, healthcare providers, and researchers must know which injuries are occurring, where, and to what extent (magnitude, associated costs and timeloss). Analyzing injuries by industry can identify workers at high-risk for occupational injuries, and industry groups with the greatest need for prevention activities, safety and health programs, and further research. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) classifies establishments into industries based on their business activities (and similarity in processes used to produce goods or services) [8]. NORA aggregates the 20 NAICS 2-digit Industry sectors into 10 Sector groups [9]

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