Compensation Claims Data Research Articles

PSC as an organisational level determinant of working time lost and expenditure following workplace injuries and illnesses

ObjectivesFinding an association between organisational factors and working time loss following workplace injury and illness (hereafter injury) could rightfully shift the focus in injury management strategies from the individual to the organisation. We investigate whether working time loss and expenditure following compensable injury can be predicted by knowing about organisational characteristics, particularly the Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) − the organisation’s climate for worker psychological health. MethodsOur prospective multisource study linked ‘objective’ reports of working conditions assessed in an independent Australian Workplace Barometer (AWB) sample (random population interviews of 1067 workers) to future workers compensation claims data held by a government safety regulator, by aggregating both data sets to the organisational (employer) level. We selected compensation data prior to big policy changes to a short tail scheme. We selected claims with working time loss due to injury or illness ≥1 day yielding 100 organisations and 12,624 claims. ResultsResults support organisational PSC as a leading indicator of future time loss and expenditure, and its effect was mediated through skill discretion, job satisfaction, and rewards. Decision authority, supervisory support, and bullying were also related to time loss but not as strongly as PSC. In very low PSC organisations, days lost were 160 % higher than for those in high PSC organisations (177 vs 68 days). Likewise, expenditure for the injury or illness (e.g., health expenses, wages) was 104 % higher in very low PSC vs high PSC organisations (AUD $67 260 vs $32 939). ConclusionPSC is a modifiable social determinant of injured workers working time loss and expenditure. Practically, it is essential to target PSC for safety improvement — beyond injury prevention PSC is important for return to work and to prevent the shift of the burden of organisational problems to the individual and public health.

Mandated Rest Breaks and Occupational Injuries and Illnesses in Dallas County, Texas Construction Workers: A Quasi-Experimental, Comparative Interrupted Time Series Study.

We estimated associations of a rest break ordinance, implemented for construction workers in Dallas, Texas in 2016, with workplace injuries and illnesses. We used workers' compensation claims data to compare changes in rates of injuries and illnesses among Dallas County, Texas construction (ie, "treated") workers with changes in untreated workers, before (2013-2015) and after (2016-2018) a rest break ordinance was implemented. Immediately after the ordinance was implemented, rates of injuries/illnesses among treated workers were modestly lower than in comparison workers (rate ratio comparing postmandate vs premandate rates, treated vs comparison workers: 0.89, 95% confidence interval: 0.72-1.11). Postordinance versus preordinance slope trends were similar in the treated versus the comparison group. Ten-minute rest breaks were associated with modestly lower rates of workplace injury/illnesses. More comprehensive standards may be needed for protection.

Mining Injuries 2012-2019: Using Workers' Compensation Claims Data From 35 States to Identify Rates and Costs Associated by Nature of Injury, Event/Exposure, and Body Part Affected.

This study summarized the frequency and cost of mining-related injuries. Mining-related workers' compensation (WC) claims data from 35 states were summarized to report counts, claim rates, and costs for 2012-2019. These data were compared with Mine Safety and Health Administration injury and employment data for the same period. Despite system differences, both WC and Mine Safety and Health Administration counts and rates declined over time and injury patterns were similar. Total WC costs were approximately $2.325B. Medical-only claims represented 59.4% of the claims by count, but only 3.3% of costs. Lost-time nonfatal claims represented 40.2% of the claims by count, but 90.2% of costs. Claims frequency and costs varied greatly by injury event/exposure, part of body, and nature. Injury frequency has declined but costs remain high. The most costly and disabling cases were identified.

Cumulative incidence of cardiac surgery associated with exposure to benfluorex: A retrospective analysis based on compensation claims data.

Data on retrospective compensation claims for injuries caused by pharmaceutical drugs are prone to selection and reporting biases. Nevertheless, this case study of the antidiabetic drug benfluorex shows that such data can be used to estimate the cumulative incidence of drug-related injury, and to provide insights into its epidemiology. To this end, we develop a modelling framework for under-reporting of retrospective claims for compensation arising from drug damage. The model involves a longitudinal component related to attrition of cases over time, and a cross-sectional component related to incomplete reporting. We apply this model to cardiac valve surgery necessitated by exposure to benfluorex. Benfluorex was marketed in France between 1976 and 2009, when it was withdrawn because it caused valvular heart disease. A scandal erupted in 2010 over the scale of the damage caused by the drug. Since then, no further estimates of cumulative incidence have been published, though thousands of claims for compensation have been processed. The analysis combines compensation claims data and sociological survey data on benfluorex users, together with data on benfluorex sales and duration of treatment. We find a threshold of toxicity at about 6 months' exposure, and that at least 1690 individuals (95% CI 1290 to 2320) needed heart surgery to replace or repair valves damaged by exposure to benfluorex in France: a cumulative incidence of 3.68 per 10,000 (95% CI 2.68 to 5.34) benfluorex users or 3.22 per 10,000 (95% CI 2.48 to 4.39) person-years at risk above the exposure threshold. While these findings are tentative, they are consistent with those obtained previously using very different methods.

Covid-19 Occupational Risk Incidence and Working Sectors Involved During the Pandemic in Italy

BackgroundStarting from March 2020 until December 2021, different phases of Covid-19 pandemic have been identified in Italy, with several containing/lifting measures progressively enforced by the National government. In the present study, we investigate the change in occupational risk during the subsequent pandemic phases and we propose an estimate of the incidence of the cases by economic sector, based on the analysis of insurance claims for compensation for Covid-19. MethodsCovid-19 epidemiological data available for the general population and injury claims of workers covered by the Italian public insurance system in 2020–2021 were analyzed. Monthly Incidence Rate of Covid-19 compensation claims per 100,000 workers (MIRw) was calculated by the economic sector and compared with the same indicator for general population in different pandemic periods. ResultsThe distribution of Covid-19 MIRw by sector significantly changed during the pandemic related to both the strength of different waves and the mitigation/lifting strategies enforced. The level of occupational fraction was very high at the beginning phase of the pandemic, decreasing to 5% at the end of 2021. Healthcare and related services were continuously hit but the incidence was significantly decreasing in 2021 in all sectors, except for postal and courier activities in transportation and storage enterprises. ConclusionThe analysis of compensation claim data allowed to identify time trends for infection risk in different working sectors. The claim rates were highest for human health and social work activities but the distribution of risk among sectors was clearly influenced by the different stages of the pandemic.

Characterizing worker compensation claims in long-term care and examining the association between facility characteristics and severe injury: a repeated cross-sectional study from Alberta, Canada

BackgroundDespite the physical demands and risks inherent to working in long-term care (LTC), little is known about workplace injuries and worker compensation claims in this setting. The purpose of this study was to characterize workplace injuries in LTC and to estimate the association between worker and organizational factors on severe injury.MethodsWe used a repeated cross-sectional design to examine worker compensation claims between September 1, 2014 and September 30, 2018 from 25 LTC homes. Worker compensation claim data came from The Workers Compensation Board of Alberta. LTC facility data came from the Translating Research in Elder Care program. We used descriptive statistics to characterize the sample and multivariable logistic regression to estimate the association between staff, organizational, and resident characteristics and severe injury, measured as 31+ days of disability.ResultsWe examined 3337 compensation claims from 25 LTC facilities. Less than 10% of claims (5.1%, n = 170) resulted in severe injury and most claims did not result in any days of disability (70.9%, n = 2367). Most of the sample were women and over 40 years of age. Care aides were the largest occupational group (62.1%, n = 2072). The highest proportion of claims were made from staff working in voluntary not for profit facilities (41.9%, n = 1398) followed by public not for profit (32.9%, n = 1098), and private for profit (n = 25.2%, n = 841). Most claims identified the nature of injury as traumatic injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments, or joints. In the multivariable logistic regression, higher staff age (50–59, aOR: 2.26, 95% CI 1.06–4.83; 60+, aOR: 2.70, 95% CI 1.20–6.08) was associated with more severe injury, controlling for resident acuity and other organizational staffing factors.ConclusionsMost claims were made by care aides and were due to musculoskeletal injuries. In LTC, few worker compensation claims were due to severe injury. More research is needed to delve into the specific features of the LTC setting that are related to worker injury.

Current and projected heatwave-attributable occupational injuries, illnesses, and associated economic burden in Australia

IntroductionThe costs of global warming are substantial. These include expenses from occupational illnesses and injuries (OIIs), which have been associated with increases during heatwaves. This study estimated retrospective and projected future heatwave-attributable OIIs and their costs in Australia. Materials and methodsClimate and workers’ compensation claims data were extracted from seven Australian capital cities representing OIIs from July 2005 to June 2018. Heatwaves were defined using the Excess Heat Factor. OIIs and associated costs were estimated separately per city and pooled to derive national estimates. Results were projected to 2030 (2016–2045) and 2050 (2036–2065). ResultsThe risk of OIIs and associated costs increased during heatwaves, with the risk increasing during severe and particularly extreme heatwaves. Of all OIIs, 0.13% (95% empirical confidence interval [eCI]: 0.11–0.16%) were heatwave-attributable, equivalent to 120 (95%eCI:70–181) OIIs annually. 0.25% of costs were heatwave-attributable (95%eCI: 0.18–0.34%), equal to $AU4.3 (95%eCI: 1.4–7.4) million annually. Estimates of heatwave-attributable OIIs by 2050, under Representative Concentration Pathway [RCP]4.5 and RCP8.5, were 0.17% (95%eCI: 0.10–0.27%) and 0.23% (95%eCI: 0.13–0.37%), respectively. National costs estimates for 2030 under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 were 0.13% (95%eCI: 0.27-0.46%) and 0.04% (95%eCI: 0.66-0.60), respectively. These estimates for extreme heatwaves were 0.04% (95%eCI: 0.02–0.06%) and 0.04% (95%eCI: 0.01–0.07), respectively. Cost-AFs in 2050 were, under RCP4.5, 0.127% (95%eCI: 0.27-0.46) for all heatwaves and 0.04% (95%eCI: 0.01-0.09%) for extreme heatwaves. Attributable fractions were approximately similar to baseline when assuming theoretical climate adaptation. DiscussionHeatwaves represent notable and preventable portions of preventable OIIs and economic burden. OIIs are likely to increase in the future, and costs during extreme heatwaves in 2030. Workplace and public health policies aimed at heat adaptation can reduce heat-attributable morbidity and costs.

Intra-urban risk assessment of occupational injuries and illnesses associated with current and projected climate: Evidence from three largest Australian cities

BackgroundIncreased risk of occupational injuries and illnesses (OI) is associated with ambient temperature. However, most studies have reported the average impacts within cities, states, or provinces at broader scales. MethodsWe assessed the intra-urban risk of OI associated with ambient temperature in three Australian cities at statistical area level 3 (SA3). We collected daily workers’ compensation claims data and gridded meteorological data from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2018. Heat index was used as the primary temperature metric. We performed a two-stage time series analysis: we generated location-specific estimates using Distributed Lag Non-Linear Models (DLNM) and estimated the cumulative effects with multivariate meta-analysis. The risk was estimated at moderate heat (90th percentile) and extreme heat (99th percentile). Subgroup analyses were conducted to identify vulnerable groups of workers. Further, the OI risk in the future was estimated for two projected periods: 2016–2045 and 2036–2065. ResultsThe cumulative risk of OI was 3.4% in Greater Brisbane, 9.5% in Greater Melbourne, and 8.9% in Greater Sydney at extreme heat. The western inland regions in Greater Brisbane (17.4%) and Greater Sydney (32.3%) had higher risk of OI for younger workers, workers in outdoor and indoor industries, and workers reporting injury claims. The urbanized SA3 regions posed a higher risk (19.3%) for workers in Greater Melbourne. The regions were generally at high risk for young workers and illness-related claims. The projected risk of OI increased with time in climate change scenarios. ConclusionsThis study provides a comprehensive spatial profile of OI risk associated with hot weather conditions across three cities in Australia. Risk assessment at the intra-urban level revealed strong spatial patterns in OI risk distribution due to heat exposure. These findings provide much-needed scientific evidence for work, health, and safety regulators, industries, unions, and workers to design and implement location-specific preventative measures.

Frequency and Cost of Claims by Injury Type From the Korea Workers' Compensation Insurance Between 2016 and 2019.

This study aimed to examine the frequency of worker injuries by affected body part(s) and the associated costs. Methods : We performed a secondary analysis of national workers' compensation claims data from the Korean workers' compensation insurance. The main outcome measures were frequency and cost of claims by injury type. Results : Multiple injuries were ranked as the highest injury type in the number of annual claims and percentage of the total cost/total medical cost. Hand/wrist/finger was the most common single-injury type. The frequency of injury type and the cost amount payable as a percentage of the total cost were the highest for multiple injuries, hand/wrist/finger injuries, and knee/lower leg injuries. Conclusions : Regarding frequency and costs, hand/wrist/finger injuries were highest in cost, by single-injury type. Therefore, these injuries should be recognized as intervention targets.

The effect of time to amputation on medical costs accrued during the first twelve months after injury-A California workers' compensation claims study.

This study investigated whether the time to amputation (TtoA) after a work-related injury had a significant effect on the medical costs accrued in the first year after injury. Six thousand nine hundred fifty-three person-level workers' compensation claims data from the state of California, USA, from 2007 to 2018. Multiple quantile regression was used to assess the impact of TtoA on medical costs accrued during the first 12 months after injury. Three time intervals for TtoA were investigated: immediate (0, 1 days), short-delay (2-31 days), and long-delay (>31 days). The median (interquartile range) medical dollars paid per claim during the first 12 months for the study population was $12,414 ($6,324-$29,347). Amputations that occurred during the short-delay time interval resulted in significant ( p < 0.001) median (95% CI) savings of -$3,196 (-$3,968 to -$2,424) compared with the immediate amputation group. The long-delay time interval resulted in significantly ( p < 0.001) increased median (95% CI) spending of $5,613 ($4,675-$6,551) compared with the immediate amputation group. Covariates that significantly increased costs were medical intensity, medical complexity, use of a prosthesis, and if the injured worker pursued legal action in addition to a workers' compensation claim. This study presents the impact of TtoA on medical spending in the first year after a work-related injury that results in an amputation. Amputations that occurred within the first month after an injury resulted in reduced medical spending compared with immediate amputations, and amputations that occurred after the first month resulted in increased medical spending.

Racial and ethnic disparities in workers' compensation claims rates.

Workers of color experience a disproportionate share of work-related injuries and illnesses (WRII), however, most workers' compensation systems do not collect race and ethnicity information, making it difficult to monitor trends over time, or to investigate specific policies and procedures that maintain or could eliminate the unequal burden of WRII for workers of color. The purpose of this study is to apply a Bayesian method to Washington workers' compensation claims data to identify racial and ethnic disparities of WRII by industry and occupation, improving upon existing surveillance limitations. Measuring differences in risk for WRII will better inform prevention efforts and target prevention to those at increased risk. To estimate WRII by race/ethnicity, we applied the Bayesian Improved Surname Geocode (BISG) method to surname and residential address data among all Washington workers' compensation claims filed for injuries in 2013-2017. We then compare worker and injury characteristics by imputed race/ethnicity, and estimate rates of WRII by imputed race/ethnicity within industry and occupation. Black/African Americans had the highest rates of WRII claims across all industry and occupational sectors. Hispanic/Latino WRII claimants also had higher rates than Whites and Asian/Pacific Islanders in almost all industry and occupational sectors. For accepted claims with both medical and non-medical compensation, Bodily reaction/overexertion injuries accounted for almost half of the claims during this reporting period. The high rates of injury we report by racial/ethnic categories is a cause for major concern. Nearly all industry and occupation-specific rates of workers' compensation claims are higher for Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino workers compared to Whites. More work is needed to identify work-related, systemic, and individual characteristics.

Cancer risk among firefighters and police in the Ontario workforce

ObjectiveFirefighters and police often work in high-stress, complex environments with known and suspected carcinogenic exposures. We aimed to characterise cancer incidence among firefighters and police.MethodsThe Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS)...

Reliability and validity of an employer-completed safety hazard and management assessment questionnaire

Introduction: Managing and improving occupational safety and health requires evaluating performance. Organizations are encouraged to use both lagging indicators (such as injury rates and costs) and leading indicators (such as questionnaire-assessed safety hazards and management practices) for this purpose, but the association between types of indicators over time can be complex. Longitudinal data can assist in clarifying these associations and increasing indicator utility. Method: Employer data were used to evaluate the reliability and predictive validity of a safety management questionnaire. Employers’ longitudinal questionnaire responses and workers’ compensation (WC) claims data were analyzed using a marginal model with time-dependent covariates. Multivariable Poisson and linear regression analyses with claim rate and logarithmic cost, respectively, as dependent variables were carried out after adjusting for industry sector and size. Questionnaire data were used to evaluate questionnaire scaling properties and to assess generalizability of results. Results: One safety management scale was associated with a better WC outcome as predicted and two scales were unexpectedly associated with poorer WC claim outcomes. Analyses assisted in interpreting the latter results, suggesting that WC outcomes were a stimulus for change in some cases. Twelve hazards assessed on the questionnaire were associated with poorer WC claim outcomes as predicted. Conclusions: This study extends leading indicator research using longitudinal questionnaire and WC claims data from employers. Analyses provided insight into associations between leading and lagging indicators, emphasizing the importance of both for safety improvement. Safety management questionnaire scales were predictive of WC claim outcomes, although support for hazard assessments as leading indicators was stronger. Practical Applications: This study supports the use of employer-completed hazard assessment questionnaires for targeting and prioritizing improvement efforts. Employer-completed safety management scales may be useful for directing improvement efforts, although the conditions under which they are completed, including submission to insurers, require additional consideration.

Differences in workers' compensation claim rates for within-province and out-of-province workers in British Columbia, Canada, 2010-2017.

Little is known about the work-related injury and illness risk of out-of-province workers. This study examines whether there are differences in work-related injury and illness claim rates between within-province and out-of-province workers in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Workers' compensation claim data for injuries and illnesses in BC from 2010 to 2017 were linked with denominator data from Statistics Canada. Multivariable negative binomial regression estimated the claim rate ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for out-of-province workers with all, health care-only (HCO), short-term disability, long-term disability, and fatality (SLF), and serious injury (SI) claims, compared to within-province workers. Compared to within-province workers, out-of-province workers had a lower total claim rate (RR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.52-0.57), adjusting for sex, age, industry sector, and year. Differences in rates differed by claim type, with the largest differences for HCO claims (RR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.47-0.52) and smallest differences for SI claims (RR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.78-0.92). Sex-stratified models showed larger differences for males than females, with older female out-of-province workers having elevated SI claim rates. Industry-specific models showed that, even in sectors with high proportions of out-of-province workers' claims, these workers have lower claim rates than within-province workers. Out-of-province workers generally have lower claim rates than within-province workers. The overall duration of work exposure, and underreporting or underclaiming, are factors that may explain these lower claim rates. Understanding the determinants and differences of these claim rates may improve the administration and adjudication of claims while also identifying where further prevention measures may be merited.

The Characteristics of Accepted Work-related Injuries and Diseases Claims in the Australian Coal Mining Industry

BackgroundCoal mining is a hazardous industry. The purpose of the study is to identify the nature of occupational injuries and diseases among coal miners and to determine the factors that affect the rate of injury and duration of time loss from work. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted using accepted workers' compensation claims data of 30,390 Australian coal miners between July 2003 and June 2017. ResultsMusculoskeletal and fracture conditions accounted for approximately 60% of claims in all occupational groups. Cox regression analysis showed that older age and female gender were significant predictors of longer time off work. Injury types and occupations were associated with work time loss: mental health conditions, and machine operators and drivers had significantly longer durations of time off work. ConclusionFuture research can further address how these factors led to longer time off work so that coal industry regulators, employers, and healthcare providers can target interventions more effectively to these at-risk workers.

Recreational Marijuana Sales Legalization and Monday Work Injury Claims

Abstract An important stylized fact in the literature is that more Workers’ Compensation claims for difficult-to-diagnose injuries are filed on Monday than on any other day of the week. This paper studies the impact of recreational marijuana sales legalization on Monday work injury claims. Using restricted-use Workers’ Compensation claim data in Oregon and a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) model, I find the probability of overall Monday injuries increase by 4 percentage points after recreational marijuana sales legalization. The event study graphs suggest the medium-term effects appear to equal the short-term effects. Additionally, I do not find strong evidence to support those difficult-to-diagnose Monday injuries disproportionately increase after recreational marijuana sales legalization, suggesting a limited moral hazard of Monday injury claiming behavior after recreational marijuana sales legalization.

Incidence of Workers' Compensation Claims in Opioid-Using Truck Drivers.

This study examines the relationship between opioid use prevalence and subsequent filing of workers' compensation claims. A retrospective cohort study design was utilized to examine data from drivers' initial commercial driver medical exam, employment data, and workers' compensation claims data. Data from 57,733 over 7 years were analyzed. Drivers who reported opioid use at their initial medical exam visit filed subsequent workers' compensation claims 1.81 times sooner (P = 0.0001; 95% CI 1.34, 2.44) than drivers who did not report opioid use at their CDME when controlling for age, gender, BMI, and diastolic blood pressure. These findings provide information that may aid in improving regulations to control for incidents, training programs to inform professional drivers of factors that increase accident risk and educating prescribers about increased risks of injury among opioid-using drivers.

Associations Between Work-Zone Groups and Compensation Claims: Experience From a Poultry Meat Processing Plant.

At a poultry meat processing plant, work-zone group was an influencing factor upon an intervention program aimed at reducing musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), and also upon safety climate and disability management practices. This study aimed to explore if compensation claim outcomes also differed across work-zones in this plant. De-identified workers' compensation claims data from the processor were categorized according to three main work-zones (kill, process, and despatch). Multivariable generalized linear modeling explored the compensation claims costs across these work-zones, adjusted for age, shift, and claim type. For MSDs, costs per claim were 3.5 times lower in the kill-zone compared to the despatch-zone. Shift worked and claim type were significant covariates in the modeling. Organizations should prioritize interventions within work-zones with poorer compensation outcomes and consider the association of organizational microclimates upon these claims.

Implementing work-related Mental health guidelines in general PRacticE (IMPRovE): a protocol for a hybrid III parallel cluster randomised controlled trial

BackgroundThe Clinical Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Work-related Mental Health Conditions in General Practice (the Guideline) was published in 2019. The objective of this trial is to implement the Guideline in general practice.Trial designImplementing work-related Mental health conditions in general PRacticE is a hybrid III, parallel cluster randomised controlled trial undertaken in Australia. Its primary aim is to assess the effectiveness of a complex intervention on the implementation of the Guideline in general practice. Secondary aims are to assess patient health and work outcomes, to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the trial, and to develop a plan for sustainability.MethodsA total of 86 GP clusters will be randomly allocated either to the intervention arm, where they will receive a complex intervention comprising academic detailing, enrolment in a community of practice and resources, or to the control arm, where they will not receive the intervention. GP guideline concordance will be assessed at baseline and 9 months using virtual simulated patient scenarios. Patients who meet the eligibility criteria (>18years, employed, and receiving care from a participating GP for a suspected or confirmed work-related mental health condition) will be invited to complete surveys about their health and work participation and provide access to their health service use data. Data on health service use and work participation compensation claim data will be combined with measures of guideline concordance and patient outcomes to inform an economic evaluation. A realist evaluation will be conducted to inform the development of a plan for sustainability.ResultsWe anticipate that GPs who receive the intervention will have higher guideline concordance than GPs in the control group. We also anticipate that higher concordance will translate to better health and return-to-work outcomes for patients, as well as cost-savings to society.ConclusionsThe trial builds on a body of work defining the role of GPs in compensable injury, exploring their concerns, and developing evidence-based guidelines to address them. Implementation of these guidelines has the potential to deliver improvements in GP care, patient health, and return-to-work outcomes.Trial registrationACTRN12620001163998, November 2020

Trends in incidence and correlation between medical costs and lost workdays for work-related amputations in the State of California from 2007 to 2018.

BackgroundDetailed information regarding workers who experience an amputation in the workplace over the last decade is limited. To better understand the financial and functional impact of a work‐related amputation, this study quantifies the incidence of work‐related amputations in the California workforce from 2007 to 2018 as well as the relationship between medical costs and lost workdays as a function of amputation level.MethodsWorkers' compensation claims data from California spanning the years 2007 to 2018 were evaluated to describe trends in amputation incidence (N = 16 931). Quartile values for medical costs, indemnity costs, and lost workdays were reported as a function of amputation level. Correlations were performed between medical costs and lost workdays to examine their relationship.ResultsThe average incidence from 2007 to 2018 was 8.9 (95% CI 8.5, 9.4) amputations per 100 000 workers. There was a significant spike in amputations in 2008. Partial‐hand amputations were the most common with 73.3 (95% CI 69.2, 77.7) cases per 1 000 000 workers, and the industry with the highest incidence was construction with 26.0 (95% CI 22.4, 30.0) cases per 100 000 workers. Overall, medical costs were moderately correlated with lost workdays (Spearman's rho = 0.51), and that level of correlation remained relatively consistent across all levels of amputation (Spearman's rho = 0.48‐0.62).ConclusionsAmputations represent high medical costs and number of lost workdays. Considering the type of amputation and the industry the injury occurred in is important in order to work toward returning this population to work. Our results present the status of amputations in the California workplace and establish a basis for using medical costs to infer lost work productivity for this population.