Average Injury Rate Research Articles

Technological disasters in Asia: Epidemiological profile from the year 2000 to 2021.

Technological disasters in Asia have significant public health and environmental implications, but there is limited epidemiological analysis of these events. This study aims to characterize the epidemiological profile of technological disasters in Asia from 2000 to 2021, focusing on morbidity and mortality trends. A retrospective descriptive observational analysis was conducted using data from emergency events database (EM-DAT), DesInventar, NatCAt, and Sigma. The study categorized disasters into transport, industrial, and miscellaneous accidents. Statistical analyses were used to examine frequencies, trends, and correlations among the different disaster types. From 2000 to 2021, Asia experienced 2333 technological disasters, with transport accidents being the most frequent (55.77%), followed by industrial (26.10%) and miscellaneous accidents (18.13%). The overall trend showed a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of these disasters and in average mortality and injury rates. The study highlighted the varying impact of different disaster types, with industrial accidents causing the highest fatality and affected rates despite being less frequent than transport accidents. The study indicates a declining trend in the frequency and severity of technological disasters in Asia, reflecting improved safety measures and disaster management. However, the high impact of industrial accidents underscores the need for targeted prevention strategies.

Traumatic workplace injuries: A cross-sectional analysis of OSHA severe injury reports, including the impacts of seasonality and COVID-19 from 2015 to 2022

Introduction: Millions of workers are injured on the job each year. Updated injury reporting regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 2014 have resulted in publicly available data on reported severe injuries. Methods: OSHA severe injury reports (SIRs) were analyzed from 2015 to 2022. Severe injury rates were calculated using total employment estimates by industry and state to characterize the distribution of SIRs. Secondary analyses examined how SIRs differed seasonally, as well as before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: There were 83,338 severe workplace injuries reported across the 29 states that are under federal OSHA coverage. Manufacturing (375.98 per 100,000 workers) and Utilities (277.21 per 100,000 workers) had the highest rates of severe injuries. Despite summertime peaks in SIRs, there were not significant differences between seasons when examining SIRs by industry (p = 0.9763) or various injury factors. 1,846 of the SIRs were heat-related, and Utilities had the highest rate of heat-related severe injuries (13.34 per 100,000 workers). There was a statistically significant difference in the average injury rate when comparing pre- and post-COVID-19 periods (p < 0.001), which was statistically similar across all industries (p = 0.8143). Conclusions: Although several prior studies have examined the OSHA SIR data, this is the first known analysis of SIRs in relation to state- and industry-specific employment data. Despite the lack of a significant seasonality in SIRs, many industries seem to be impacted by heat-related injuries across all states. The number and rate of SIRs declined during COVID-19 similarly across all industries, with some industries maintaining low injury reporting rates through 2022. Practical Application: Findings of which industries and states may be experiencing a disproportionate burden of SIRs, including heat-related injuries, can inform injury prevention efforts. Additional work is needed to disentangle the drivers behind decreases in reported severe injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Did safety-engineered device implementation contribute to reducing the risk of needlestick and sharps injuries? Retrospective investigation of 20 years of observation in a specialist tertiary referral hospital.

In Poland, there are numerous cases of injuries caused by sharp instruments annually, still significantly more than in other European Union countries. The aim of this study was to analyze work-related injuries among healthcare workers in a selected hospital before and after the implementation of safety-engineered devices (SED). Retrospective analysis of medical documentation regarding occupational needlestick and sharps injuries (NSSI) in a tertiary referral surgical hospital in 1998-2018. The study group consisted of nurses and doctors who had been injured and reported the incident. The frequency of injury reports, injury rate, and characterization of circumstances surrounding NSSI are presented. Over the period of 20 years, a total of 257 NSSI incidents were reported. The average injury rate was statistically significant for nurses (p = 0.004) and was higher before the introduction of SED. Moreover, the number of injuries among nurses showed a downward trend during the study period. However, for doctors, there was no statistically significant difference in the median puncture rate (p = 0.099), and the number of injuries showed an increasing trend. In this study, the authors' have demonstrated not only the occurrence of injuries and punctures in the daily work of medical personnel but also the potential for their reduction through the use of safety equipment at every workstation where healthcare services are provided using sharp medical instruments. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(2):234-43.

Prevalence of Accidents and Injuries and Related Factors of Fishermen Fishing Offshore in the North of Vietnam

Introduction: Seafaring, particularly offshore fishing, exposes fishermen to various occupational risks leading to diseases and injuries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of occupational risks, injury accidents, and contributing factors among offshore fishers in North Vietnam, to develop evidence-based recommendations to enhance their safety and well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 420 fishermen with a minimum of two years of experience. Interviews were conducted between 2018 and 2020. Results: The findings indicated that there is a 41.7% prevalence of accidents and an average injury rate of 280.2 per person per year. Most incidents occurred at night with 104 cases (59.4%), slips and falls 48 cases (27.4%), broken winch lines 40 cases (22.9%), and ship collisions 14 cases (8.0%) being the primary causes. The most common injuries included soft wounds in 92 cases (52.5%) and sprains/dislocations in 14 cases (8.0%). Fishermen with fewer than 10 years of experience exhibited a higher accident risk (odds ratio = 1.54; 95% confidence interval: 1.05-2.72), as did those in the role of a fisherman (odds ratio: 1.68; CI: 0.97-2.94) and those working without labor protection (odds ratio: 3.68; CI: 1.05-12.93). Conclusion: Lack of labor protection equipment increased the risk by 3.68 times, and fishermen in the friend group had a 2.02 times higher risk of injury. Addressing these risks requires adherence to labor protection regulations and safe working procedures.

Poster 381: The Current NFL Schedule is not a Risk Factor for Musculoskeletal Injuries; Epidemiology of NFL Injuries From 2017-2022

Objectives: The National Football League, among the most popular team sports in the United States, carries an injury incidence that is higher than that of other collision sports, such as rugby and ice hockey. Considerable research has been undertaken to investigate the etiology of injuries in the NFL and has identified numerous risk factors on the level of individual games, including playing surface and gameday weather conditions; additionally, one study has found that concussion risk is not affected by scheduling variation, such as overseas games and bye week timing. However, there is currently no data that reports the effects of scheduling variation over the course of a season on musculoskeletal injury incidence. The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the relationship between scheduling factors and injury rates among professional athletes in the NFL. It was hypothesized that higher cumulative travel distance, playing overseas games, an early season bye week, and an expansion of the regular season would be associated with higher injury rates. Methods: The current study was a descriptive epidemiological study that retrospectively reviewed all injuries that occurred in the five NFL seasons from the 2017-2018 season through the 2021-2022 season. Injury data and travel distances were extracted from publicly available sources and injury reports were cross-referenced to verify injury data. Injury rates were calculated per 1,000 athletic exposures (AEs). Results: In 1,216 regular season games in the five NFL seasons, 4,378 injuries were reported for an average injury rate per year of 34.42 injuries per 1,000 AEs. Cumulative team travel distance did not significantly predict injury rates (Figure 1). There was not a statistically significant difference in injury rates between NFL teams that did (19.3 per 1,000 AEs) versus did not play a game overseas (19.3 per 1,000 AEs) (Figure 2). There was not a statistically significant difference in injury rates or the number of players on the injured reserve list between the various bye weeks. There was not a statically significant difference in injury rates between the new 17-game regular season (18.4 per 1,000 AEs) versus the previous four 16-game regular seasons (19.7 per 1,000 AEs) (Figure 3). However, NFL teams that did not qualify for the playoffs had a significantly higher injury rate (19.9 per 1,000 AEs) versus teams that did qualify for the playoffs (18.4 per 1,000 AEs). Also, NFL teams that did not qualify for the playoffs had a significantly higher number of players on the injured reserve list (8.0 per 1,000 AEs) versus teams that qualified for the playoffs (6.8 per 1,000 AEs) (Figure 4). Conclusions: Over five NFL seasons, increased cumulative travel distance, playing a game overseas, and having an early season bye week were not associated with increased injury rates in professional football players. The addition of one regular season game, from 16 to 17 during the 2020 season, was not associated with an increased injury rate. However, not qualifying for post-season play was associated with an increased injury rate and an increase in the number of players on injured reserve. Overall, the analysis suggests that the analyzed parameters in the current NFL schedule were not risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries over the last five seasons; however, lack of regular season success may be associated with higher injury rates and more players on injured reserve.

Poor adherence to dust, noise and safety regulations predict injury rates in underground coal mines

BackgroundWhile safety in US coal mining has improved over the past two decades, general occupational health research shows that risk of injury varies across individual worksites and is influenced by...

Recreational Skydiving-Really That Dangerous? A Systematic Review.

Skydiving have gained mainstream popularity over the past decades. However, limited data exist on the injury risk or type associated with skydiving. This systematic review evaluated the injuries and fatalities of civilian skydivers. A PRISMA-guided literature search was performed in MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase using the following MeSH terms: "skydiving" or "parachute" alone or in combination with "injury" or "trauma" was performed including all studies through June 2022 in both English and German. Additionally, injury reports from the German, American, and British Parachute Associations were reviewed. Of the 277 articles matching the selected search terms, 10 original articles and 34 non-scientific reports from various skydiving associations were included. More than 62 million jumps were evaluated, with an average of 3,200,000 jumps per year, which showed an average injury rate of 0.044% and an average fatality rate of 0.0011%. The most common injuries sustained by recreational skydivers involved the lumbar spine and lower extremities. Injuries were most commonly reported during the landing sequence. With modern equipment and training methods, fatalities occur in less than 1 per 100,000 cases, and serious injuries requiring hospitalization in less than 2 per 10,000 cases. This puts the assessment of skydiving as a high-risk sport into perspective.

YOLOX-based blue laser weeding robot in corn field.

A YOLOX convolutional neural network-based weeding robot was designed for weed removal in corn seedling fields, while verifying the feasibility of a blue light laser as a non-contact weeding tool. The robot includes a tracked mobile platform module, a weed identification module, and a robotic arm laser emitter module. Five-degree-of-freedom robotic arm designed according to the actual weeding operation requirements to achieve precise alignment of the laser. When the robot is in operation, it uses the texture and shape of the plants to differentiate between weeds and corn seedlings. The robot then uses monocular ranging to calculate the coordinates of the weeds using the triangle similarity principle, and it controls the end actuator of the robotic arm to emit the laser to kill the weeds. At a driving speed of 0.2 m·s-1 on flat ground, the weed robot's average detection rate for corn seedlings and weeds was 92.45% and 88.94%, respectively. The average weed dry weight prevention efficacy was 85%, and the average seedling injury rate was 4.68%. The results show that the robot can accurately detect weeds in corn fields, and the robotic arm can precisely align the weed position and the blue light laser is effective in removing weeds.

Incidence and factors related to nonmotorized scooter injuries in New York State and New York City, 2005–2020

BackgroundThis study provides an analysis of contemporary trends and demographics of patients treated for injuries from nonmotorized scooters in emergency departments in New York state excluding New York City (NYS) and New York City (NYC).MethodsThe study tracks the incidence of nonmotorized scooter injuries in NYS and NYC from 2005 to 2020 and furnishes a detailed profile of the injured patients using patient-level records from the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS). A negative binomial regression analysis is performed on the SPARCS data to measure the simultaneous effects of demographic variables on scooter injuries for NYS and NYC. The study also examines the demographic correlates of the rate of injuries at the neighborhood level in NYC. A thematically shaded map of the injury rates in New York City neighborhoods is created to locate neighborhoods with greater concentrations of injuries and to identify the reasons which might account for their higher rate of injuries, such as street infrastructure.ResultsIn NYS and NYC injuries from unpowered scooters underwent an overall decline in the past decade. However, both NYS and NYC are now evidencing an increase in their rates. The upswing in the rate in NYC in 2020 is particularly noticeable. Males and children in the age group 5 to 9 were found to be most susceptible to injury. Injuries were more prevalent in more affluent New York City neighborhoods. A map of the injury rates in the City’s neighborhoods revealed a clustering of neighborhoods with higher than average injury rates. ConclusionsInjuries from nonmotorized scooters number approximately 40,000 annually in the US and can be prevented by greater use of protective equipment. Street infrastructure is a critical factor contributing to injuries from the use of nonmotorized scooters. Thematically shaded maps can be used to identify and target areas for purposes of intervention.

Occupational Accidents and Work Injuries in Jordan’s Economic Sectors between 2010 and 2019

A growing emphasis is being placed on raising global awareness of the magnitude and consequences of work-related accidents, injuries, and diseases, as well as designing and implementing efficient preventive and protective policies and programs. Statistical data on occupational accidents and diseases, as well as work-related deaths on a national level, may assist decision makers in critically assessing the status of occupational health and safety (OHS) and proposing appropriate measures to improve the status of OSH to meet global standards. Jordan faces economic challenges that necessitate effective measures to reduce damage and economic losses caused by workplace accidents and injuries, as it has been revealed that the work injury rate is approximately one accident every 44 minutes and the death from a work injury occurs every 3 days. The average fatal injury rate per 105 of workers is 8.6. The manufacturing sector reported the largest percentage of work injuries (35.9%). The fall of persons caused the largest percentage of work injuries (29.3%). Accidents that resulted in "Bruises" accounted for 33.4% of all accidents, while accidents that resulted in "Wounds" accounted for 26.8% of all accidents. The percentage of work-related injuries that resulted in curable injuries accounted for 75.8% of the total injuries. The cost of work accidents is reflected by an estimated average of 80000 absence days and annual social security costs of approximately 8.8 million JD.

Occupational injuries in categories of personnel of Federal Fire Service of EMERCOM of Russia (2006–2020)

Relevance. Occupational injuries - a set of injuries received by workers in the workplace and caused by non-compliance with working conditions for a certain period of time, for example, for 1 year. Industrial injuries - a controlled process and an indicator of occupational safety. Intention. To analyze occupational injuries among the personnel of the Federal Fire Service (FFS) of the EMERCOM of Russia by category for 15 years from 2006 to 2020. Methodology. The injury rates for personnel (with special ranks and employees) of the FFS of the EMERCOM of Russia were obtained from the statistical data bank on morbidity, injuries, disability and death of personnel of the EMERCOM of Russia units during the performance of their duties. Injury rates per 10,000 firefighters were calculated. The received injuries were correlated with the categories of personnel (operational personnel, preventive, technical and managerial personnel) and activities (fire fighting, training / sports and everyday activities). The circumstances of receiving injuries were generalized by causes: technical, organizational, psycho-physiological and dangerous fire-related factors. The results were checked for normality of distribution. Arithmetic mean values and their errors are presented. The dynamics of receiving injuries was assessed using time series and 2nd order polynomial trends. Consistency (congruence) of the studied trends was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficients. Results and Discussion. There is a decrease in occupational injuries in all categories of personnel of the EMERCOM of Russia FFS. Average annual level of occupational injuries in 2006-2020 was (14.66 ± 2.01) per 10,000 firefighters. Russian workers overall tended to have higher levels (17.87 ± 1.56) per 10,000 Russian workforce (nonsignificant difference). The consistency of the trends is strong positive and statistically significant (r = 0.833; p &lt; 0.001), which may indicate the influence of unidirectional factors in recieving injuries. The proportion of injuries among operational personnel was 67.1% of the structure of all occupational injuries, the average annual injury rate was (14.47 ± 2.06) per 10 thousand firefighters; among preventive personnel - 6.6 % and (12.33 ? 2.33) per 10 thousand, respectively; among technical personnel - 6.5 % and (10.86 ± 1.58) per 10 thousand, respectively; among managerial personnel - 19.8 % and (18.65 ± 2.49) per 10 thousand firefighters, respectively. The highest level of occupational injuries and the proportion of injuries among the operational staff were due to psychophysiological causes during daily activities - (4.31 ± 0.86) per 10 thousand firefighters and 19.5 % of the structure of all injuries and fire hazards during fire extinguishing - (4.03 ± 0.45) per 10 thousand and 18.2 %, respectively. For preventive, technical and managerial personnel, the leading causes of injuries were psychophysiological factors during daily activities - (7.21 ± 1.43) per 10 thousand and 3.8 %; (6.19 ± 0.95) per 10 thousand and 3.7 %; (6.55 ± 0.81) per 10 thousand firefighters and 7.2 %, respectively. The average annual risk of receiving injury during firefighting among the personnel of the EMERCOM of Russia FFS in 2009-2020 amounted to (0.18 ± 0.01) x 10-3 injuries/(fire x year), for the operational staff -(0.15 ± 0.01) x 10-3 injuries/(fire x year). There is a tendency to reducing risks of injury. Risks of injury turned out not to depend on the number of fires; the congruence of trends for fires and risks in the personnel and operational staff is weak positive and statistically nonsignificant (r = 0.208 and r = 0.201, respectively; p &gt; 0.05 for both coefficients). Conclusion. Occupational injuries can become manageable only if all injuries are taken into account and a wide range of concerned professionals (firefighters, managers, engineers, doctors, etc.) are involved in the analysis of their causes.

Emergency department electric scooter injuries after the introduction of shared e-scooter services: A retrospective review of 3,331 cases.

To determine the frequency, characteristics, and use of resources related to electric scooter (e-scooter) injuries in the emergency department (ED) of a major metropolitan area hospital. We performed a retrospective review of all ED presentations related to e-scooter injuries at a level I trauma center between May 2017 and February 2020. We identified ED presentation data, injury-related data, patients' clinical course after evaluation, injury diagnosis, surgical procedures, and ED readmissions. A total of 3,331 patients with e-scooter injuries presented to the ED over a 34-month period. There was a 6-fold increase in e-scooter-related injuries presenting to the ED, from an average of 26.9 injuries per month before the introduction of shared e-scooter services in August 2018 to an average of 152.6 injuries per month after its introduction. The average injury rate during weekdays was 3.27 per day, with the majority of injuries occurring in the afternoon. The most common mechanism of injury was rider fall (79.1%). There were a total of 2,637 orthopedic injuries, of which 599 (22.7%) were fractures. A total of 296 (8.9%) patients were hospitalized following the initial ED admission, and 462 surgeries were performed within 7 days of ED arrival. The introduction of the shared e-scooter services is associated with a dramatic increase in e-scooter injuries presenting to the ED. E-scooter use carries considerably underestimated injury risks of high-energy trauma and misunderstood mechanisms of injuries. These injuries challenge the healthcare system, with a major impact on both EDs and surgical departments.

ПОКАЗАТЕЛИ ТРАВМАТИЗМА ВОЕННОСЛУЖАЩИХ ПО ПРИЗЫВУ ВООРУЖЕННЫХ СИЛ РЕСПУБЛИКИ БЕЛАРУСЬ (2003-2019 гг.)

Research objective. Calculate the injury rates among conscripts during 2003-2019 years using an integral assessment to improve medical support and ensure the security of military service. Materials and methods. We studied annual medical reports about health status and morbidity of conscripts in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus (form №3/med) for 2003-2019. Results. Average annual injury rate among conscripts in 2003-2019 was 20.64±2.03%, proportion in the structure of primary morbidity for all chapters of ICD-10 was 1.3±0.1%, hospitalizations - 14.74±0.98% and 1.6±0.2%, days away from work - 325.2±17.3% and 3.9±0.3%, dismission rates - 0.56±0.05% and 3.5±0.3%, mortality - 25.20±4,42per 100 000 conscripts and 75.1±5.7%, respectively. With different in significance coefficients of determination polynomial trends of the listed medical and statistical indicators demonstrate a data decrease. In the structure of the constructed integral assessment 83.8% accounted for the sum of the proportions of injuries of the shoulder girdle and upper limbs (group 8-10), pelvis and lower limbs (group 5-7), head injuries (group 1), injuries affecting several areas of the body (group 11), consequences of trauma, poisoning and other influences of external causes (group 22). Conclusion. Analysis of the data on injuries of conscripts using an integral assessment will improve medical support in order to maintain health, conduct targeted and high-quality prevention of injuries while ensuring the safety of military service.

Comparison of indicators of injuries in military personnel serving on conscription in the Armed Forces of Russia and the Republic of Belarus (2003–2020)

Relevance. Injury indicators in military personnel reflect injuries and their consequences that occur in a certain period, as a rule, over a year. Injury indicators in the Armed Forces (AF) are important for assessing occupational safety.Intention: To compare injury indicators in military conscripts between the Russian Armed Forces and the Republic of Belarus for 18 years from 2003 to 2020.Methodology. We carried out a selective statistical analysis of medical reports on the health status of personnel and the activities of the medical service according to 3/MED form in military units where at least 80 % of the total number of conscripts of the Armed Forces of Russia and Belarus served. Groups (blocks) of injuries in Chapter XIX “Injuries, poisoning and certain other consequences of exposure to external causes” were agreed with the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision (ICD-10). Injury data were calculated per 1000 military personnel or ‰, mortality rates – per 100 000 military personnel.Results and their Discussion. In the Russian Armed Forces compared to the Belarusian Armed Forces, the average annual injury rates (primary morbidity) of conscripts were (15.91 ± 1.65) ‰ vs (20.23 ± 1.96) ‰, hospitalizations with injuries (14.16 ± 1.29 ) vs (14.50 ± 0.96) ‰, work days lost (303.4 ± 27.0) vs (303.4 ± 27.0) ‰, dismissal due to injuries (0.552 ± 0.066) vs (0.551 ± 0.051) ‰, injury-related mortality (21.96 ± 4.26) vs (24.18 ± 4.29) per 100 000, respectively. As a rule, polynomial trends with high determination coefficients showed a decrease in the levels of injury, hospitalization, work days lost and mortality. Dismissal trends showed decrease in the Russian Armed Forces and increase in the Belarusian Armed Forces. The conscripts of the Armed Forces of Russia and Belarus have a positive statistically significant congruence in indicators of injuries, hospitalizations, work days lost and mortality, which may indicate the influence of the same (unidirectional) factors in the formation of annual indicators. Injuries of the head (Group 1, Chapter XIX by ICD-10), shoulder girdle and upper limbs (Groups 5–7), the area of the hip joint and lower extremities (Groups 8–10), injuries, affecting several areas of the body (Group 11), and the consequences of injuries, poisoning and other external causes (Group 22) are of high military-epidemiological significance for conscripts in the Russian Armed Forces and the Belarusian Armed Forces. These injuries accounted for 78.7 % and 82.8 % of the generalized estimate in the Russian Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of Belarus, respectively.Conclusion. Taking into account the indicators of injuries will allow the medical service to optimize the calculation of forces and assets for treatment and rehabilitation of servicemen with injuries. Injuries are not only a medical problem; it is necessary to involve more extensively military professionals from various services to analyze the cause-and-effect relationships of injuries and develop measures for their prevention.

Epidemiology of Sports-Related Injuries and Associated Risk Factors in Adolescent Athletes: An Injury Surveillance.

The present study aimed to determine the epidemiology of sport-related injuries in amateur and professional adolescent athletes and the incidence of different risk factors on those injuries. Four hundred ninety-eight athletes aged 14 to 21 voluntarily participated in this prospective injury surveillance, conducted from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. The information collected included: personal data, sports aspects, characteristics of the injuries, and lifestyle. Forty point four percent of the participants suffered an injury in 2019 (39% of them in a previously injured area). The average injury rate was 2.64 per 1000 h. Soccer presented the highest rate (7.21). The most common injuries were: lumbar muscle strains (12.24%), ankle sprains (11.98%), and bone fractures (9.31%). Ankles (36.12%), knees (19.32%), and shoulders (6.47%) concentrated the highest number of injuries. Fifty-nine point twenty-eight percent of the injuries occurred during practices, and 40.72% during competition or peri-competition. Higher injury rates were associated (in this order) with the following factors: (a) Greater number of hours of practice per week. (b) Not performing warm-ups. (c) Using inadequate sports facilities. (d) Being aged 14–17. (e) Not performing physical preparation. (f) Inappropriate training load. (g) Not performing injury-preventive activities. (h) Performing sports technique without the supervision of one sports coach. (i) Inadequate sports equipment. In conclusion, since most injury risk factors are modifiable, it is imperative to implement strategies to reduce amateur and professional adolescent athletes’ injury rates.

Development of a Conceptual Framework for Occupational Safety and Health in Palestinian Manufacturing Industries.

The annual increase in the number of occupational accidents and diseases in the Palestinian manufacturing industries confirms a serious problem that threatens the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in such industries, with negative consequences in the society and economy. As the Palestinian OSH data are insufficient, tightwad, and with discrepancies in published data by different agencies, this study aimed to investigate the OSH status in the Palestinian manufacturing industries and determine the Palestinian OSH trends rates based on international practice in the EU and USA. Also, to shed light on the OSH situation in the manufacturing sector and warrant the inspection and monitoring of industries by the respective officials. The OSH data of 175 industrial establishments and 199 industrial employees was collected by meetings, interviews, and structured questionnaires for the period 2009–2016. The US and EU OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) formulas were used to calculate the OSH rates. The analysis showed that 32.30% of the industrial employees suffered from occupational injuries. The average injury rate was 7566 per 100,000 workers, indicating a low OSH level in the Palestinian manufacturing industries. The leather industry was found as the most dangerous in terms of OSH, with an average safety performance factor (SPF) of 145.6 off days/accident. Pearson’s chi-square test (χ2) revealed a correlation between occupational accidents and injuries and the employees’ commitment and lost working days. An OSH framework was developed based on safety and sustainable development pillars to assure effective enforcement of the OSH law and prevent future occupational accidents and diseases.

Sex- and Sports-Specific Epidemiology of Traumatic Lumbar Spine Injuries Sustained During Sporting Activities: Male Snowboarders and Female Horseback Riders at Greatest Risk

PurposeTo generate national estimates of sports-related traumatic lumbar spine injury incidence rates using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database and determine any sports- and sex-specific epidemiologic patterns of these traumatic injuries.MethodsData regarding traumatic lumbar spine injuries sustained through sporting activities from 2009 to 2018 were extracted from the NEISS, a database generating nationwide estimates through patient information collected during emergency department visits from 100 NEISS hospitals across the United States. The estimated number of injuries was calculated using weights assigned by the NEISS database depending on the geographic location of the injury.ResultsA total of 497 traumatic lumbar spine injuries were identified over the course of 10 years, suggesting 19,208 estimated injuries. The estimated average injury rate was 6.1 injuries per million persons per year. When analyzed by sex, the incidence rate of traumatic lumbar spine injury was 3.6 injuries per million persons per year for male patients and 2.5 injuries per million persons per year for female patients (P = .663). In male patients, 47% of the injuries occurred in individuals aged between 10 and 29 years, whereas injuries in female patients were more equally distributed across different age groups. Horseback riding (27%), skiing (5%), and roller skating (4%) were the leading causes of traumatic lumbar injuries in female patients. In male patients, most injuries were experienced as a result of snowboarding (13%), weightlifting (10%), and football (6%).ConclusionsFrom 2009 to 2018, the estimated incidence of sports-associated traumatic lumbar spine injuries was approximately 6.1 injuries per million persons per year. Male patients experienced a greater number of traumatic lumbar injuries (3.60) than female patients (2.46), with a relative incidence rate of 1.46. The most common source of injury was snowboarding in male patients and horseback riding in female patients.Level of EvidenceLevel III, retrospective comparative study.

ПОКАЗАТЕЛИ ТРАВМАТИЗМА ВОЕННОСЛУЖАЩИХ ПО ПРИЗЫВУ ВООРУЖЕННЫХ СИЛ РЕСПУБЛИКИ БЕЛАРУСЬ (2003-2019 гг.)

Research objective. Calculate the injury rates among conscripts during 2003-2019 years using an integral assessment to improve medical support and ensure the security of military service. Materials and methods. We studied annual medical reports about health status and morbidity of conscripts in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus (form №3/med) for 2003-2019. Results. Average annual injury rate among conscripts in 2003-2019 was 20.64±2.03%, proportion in the structure of primary morbidity for all chapters of ICD-10 was 1.3±0.1%, hospitalizations - 14.74±0.98% and 1.6±0.2%, days away from work - 325.2±17.3% and 3.9±0.3%, dismission rates - 0.56±0.05% and 3.5±0.3%, mortality - 25.20±4,42per 100 000 conscripts and 75.1±5.7%, respectively. With different in significance coefficients of determination polynomial trends of the listed medical and statistical indicators demonstrate a data decrease. In the structure of the constructed integral assessment 83.8% accounted for the sum of the proportions of injuries of the shoulder girdle and upper limbs (group 8-10), pelvis and lower limbs (group 5-7), head injuries (group 1), injuries affecting several areas of the body (group 11), consequences of trauma, poisoning and other influences of external causes (group 22). Conclusion. Analysis of the data on injuries of conscripts using an integral assessment will improve medical support, in order to maintain health, conduct targeted and high-quality prevention of injuries while ensuring the safety of military service.

The association between union membership and perceptions of safety climate among US adult workers

ObjectivesAn individual’s perceptions of their workplace safety climate can influence their health and safety outcomes in the workplace. Even though union membership has been declining in the US, union members still comprise 10% of the working population and have higher-than-industry average non-fatal illness and injury rates. Due to limited research focused in this area, this study examined whether union membership was associated with worker perceptions of safety climate. MethodsThis was a secondary data analysis study utilizing data from the Quality Work Life module from the General Social Survey centered on US workers aged 18 and above. Propensity-score matching was implemented to reduce potential selection bias between unionized and non-unionized workers. Linear regression explored the association between union membership and perceptions of safety climate, controlling for age, sex, education, industry, resource adequacy, supervisor support, co-worker support, and workload. ResultsFor perceived safety climate (on a 0–16 scale, the higher the more positive), those in union had a lower mean of perceived safety climate (12.44) compared to those not in a union (13.20). Based on the regression results, those who were in a union reported more negative perceptions of their workplace safety climate in a 12-month period (β = −0.61, p < .001). ConclusionsBy demonstrating a commitment to proactive injury prevention and bolstering the business’s overall safety performance indicators, businesses who are open to collaborations with unions may see some long-term benefits (e.g. return on investment, increased job satisfaction) and enhance union workers’ perceptions of safety climate.

Analysis of the mass skiers' injury in a large ski resort in Chongli, China

Objective To make a retrospective analysis of the injuries of skiing population in a large ski resort in Chongli, China and provide a basis for predicting the rapidly increasing medical needs for ski injuries in the context of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Methods The basic data of all injured skiers who were treated in a medical station of a large ski resort in Chongli during the snow season from November 2017 to March 2018 and from November 2018 to March 2019 were collected. The number of skiers, the number of injuries, the causes of injuries, the types of injuries and the locations of injuries were compared. Results A total of 753 skiers were injured in two snow seasons, and the estimated average incidence of injury was 4.53 and 4.46 per 1 000 skier days at the resort respectively. The average daily injury rate per 1 000 skiers in November of the two snow seasons was relatively low, with 2.20 and 1.38 cases respectively. The difference of injury rate in different months might have little to do with snowfall and more to do with passenger flow. In both the snow seasons, men accounted for more injuries than women, and injured skiers aged between 21 and 30 accounted for the largest proportion, reaching 36.8%. The main causes of injuries were falls (76.6%). The highest rate of injury was in the head and neck (17.9%), followed by the knee (17.4%) and wrist and fingers (13.3%). The most common types of injuries were contusion and trauma (29.5%) and joint and/or ligament injuries (22.2%). Children (2-12 years old) accounted for 12.7% of all the injured skiers. The rate of moderate to severe injuries (including fractures, concussions, etc.) was 34.8% among the injured patients over 50 years of age. Conclusion The snow resort should focus on injuries to children and elderly skiers and carry out targeted guidance and rescue work. In order to better ensure the medical safety of skiers, the ski resort medical station and nearby treatment hospitals should be equipped with a corresponding number of medical personnel and equipment, and the ski resort should further improve its safety management and rescue system.