Lost-time Injuries Research Articles

International Comparison of Fire Department Injuries

Firefighting remains a dangerous profession. The objective of this study was to compare injury rates among career and volunteer fire departments internationally. Methods: Injury and staffing data were collected for 2004–2009. All reported, lost-time, and activity-specific injury rates were calculated for fireground, medical, training and physical exercise activities. Injury rates were also adjusted for number of fireground and medical responses, and average annual training hours. Injury rates were generally higher in the U.S. than in Commonwealth nation and Japanese fire departments. Lost-time injury rates varied markedly among fire departments, from 0.6 (95% CI 0.4–0.9) to 23.5 (95% CI 22.4–22.7) injuries per 100 firefighters per year. The greatest pair-wise differences in lost-time injury rates were seen in the fireground and medical call activities, and these differences persisted when the rates were adjusted by the number of firefighters responding to fireground and medical incidents, respectively. Injury rates vary substantially across fire departments, suggesting that substantial improvements could result from adoption of more optimal health and safety approaches.

Research Advances in Augmented Truck Vision for Safe Surface Mining Operations

Copyright: © 2013 Frimpong S. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The creation and maintenance of a healthy working environment in surface mining operations require sustained efforts in pursuing advanced research initiatives toward the development and deployment of powered haulage technologies. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) indicates that, out of the 250 fatalities reported from 1998 to 2002 for surface mining operations, 40% was attributed to powered haulage. Within the same period, MSHA reports that 14% of total days lost and 9% of lost time injuries were attributed to powered haulage [1]. Ruff [2] states that about 675 accidents and 21 fatalities, involving powered haulage equipment, occur each year in surface mining operations. A significant 20 percent of these accidents involve off-highway dump trucks. Many practical solutions and fundamental research have been carried out to improve truck-haul road engagement and reduce dump truck collisions [3]. However, truck tirehaul road engagement, and collision problems persist in surface mining operations. Any meaningful and practical solutions must be focused on the entire truck operating paradigm from loading through loaded and empty haulage to dumping operations. Attention must focus on truck dynamics, collision avoidance and overall situational awareness of operator’s environments. Dump truck dynamics are essential for ensuring stability, and effective tire-ground engagement for efficient operations in challenging terrains. Collision and enhanced situational awareness in difficult environments are also major challenges associated with the operation of these dump trucks as a result of the increasing “blind” areas around the trucks and the operating environment. The sources of these likely collision hazards and lack of perceptual awareness include machine design, which provides limited operator’s field of view, terrain geometry problems, random intrusions by humans and animals, low clearance between passing trucks on horizontal curves, and problems at service stations (Figure 1).

Injury rates, severity, and drug testing programs in small construction companies

ProblemConstruction work is hazardous and workers consistently rank in the top of all occupations and industries for illicit drug and heavy alcohol use. MethodsDrug-testing programs were classified into three categories: no program, pre-employment/post-accident, and pre-employment/post-accident/random/suspicion. We analyzed workers’ compensation claims from 1,360 construction companies over a six-year period to assess the possible association of testing program with injury rate. ResultsCompared to no program, results respectively were RR=0.85 (CI=0.72–1.0) and RR=0.97 (CI=0.86–1.10) for all injuries, and RR=0.78 (CI=0.60–1.03) and RR=1.01 (CI=0.86–1.19) for lost-time injuries. Variability of results was exhibited across trade and union status, among other categories. SummaryDrug-testing programs may be associated with lower, non-significant, injury rates in this population. Impact on IndustryDrug-testing programs may be associated with lower injury rates, but care should be exercised to ensure accurate injury reporting, characterize underlying safety practices of a company, and to determine quality and consistency of testing.

EFFECT OF DRUG TESTING PROGRAMMES ON INJURY RATE AND SEVERITY IN SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES

BackgroundConstruction work is hazardous and workers consistently rank in the top of all occupations and industries for illicit drug and heavy alcohol use.ObjectiveDetermine the associations between active company drug testing...

Characterizing Hazards and Injuries Among Home Care Workers

This project extends research on hazardous exposures and injuries among home care workers. Historical data from Oregon home care workers were analyzed to identify the most common lost time injuries and contributing factors, and 7 focus groups were conducted with workers (n = 53) to gather data on demographics, health, and perceptions of occupational hazards. Results indicate that workers are at particular risk for back, knee, and shoulder injuries during client and material moving tasks and that workers' self-reported task exposures and risk perceptions are highly aligned with injury data.

The effect of cap lamp lighting on postural control and stability

Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are conducting mine illumination research with the objective of improving miner safety. Slips, trips, and falls (STFs) are the second leading accident class (18.1%, n = 2,374) of nonfatal lost-time injuries at underground mines (MSHA, 2005–2009). Factors contributing to STFs include recognition of hazards as well as postural balance and age. Improved lighting may enable better hazard recognition and reduce the impact of postural balance and age. Previous research has shown that cap lamp technology that used light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has improved hazard detection. This study was an initial investigation to determine if cap lamp lighting significantly influences measures of static postural stability (displacement and velocity of center of pressure). Results of this investigation showed no significant differences in the balance measures of interest between cap lamps tested. However, balance was shown to significantly decline (p < 0.05) when tested in an underground coal mine compared to the laboratory testing condition. Relevance to industryUnderground coal mine workers wear cap lamps on their hard hats as their primary light source to illuminate nearby areas where their vision is directed. Proper illumination may improve miner safety by improving their STF hazard recognition and balance.

Do Perceptions of Supervisors’ Safety Responses Mediate the Relationship between Perceptions of the Organizational Safety Climate and Incident Rates in the Construction Supply Chain?

A multilevel safety climate survey was conducted in three Australian organizations in the construction supply chain. A principal components analysis (with varimax rotation) yielded six distinct safety climate factors reflecting aspects of the organizational safety response (OSR), supervisors’ safety response (SSR), and coworkers’ safety response (CSR). Perceptions of top management’s commitment to safety (an aspect of OSR) and supervisors’ safety expectations (an aspect of SSR) were both significantly and inversely correlated with the combined medical treatment and lost time injury rate of workgroups in the analysis. Further, regression analysis revealed that perceptions of supervisors’ safety expectations fully mediated the relationship between perceptions of top management’s commitment to safety and the workgroup injury frequency rate. The results highlight the critical role played by first-level supervisors in acting as the conduit through which organizational safety priorities are communicated to the ...

Digging into construction: Social networks and their potential impact on knowledge transfer

A six-year study is exploring the most effective ways to disseminate ideas to reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the construction sector. The sector was targeted because MSDs account for 35% of all lost time injuries. This paper reports on the organization of the construction sector, and maps potential pathways of communication, including social networks, to set the stage for future dissemination. The managers, health and safety specialists, union health and safety representatives, and 28 workers from small, medium and large construction companies participated. Over a three-year period, data were collected from 47 qualitative interviews. Questions were guided by the PARIHS (Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services) knowledge-transfer conceptual framework and adapted for the construction sector. The construction sector is a complex and dynamic sector, with non-linear reporting relationships, and divided and diluted responsibilities. Four networks were identified that can potentially facilitate the dissemination of new knowledge: worksite-project networks; union networks; apprenticeship program networks; and networks established by the Construction Safety Association/Infrastructure Health and Safety Association. Flexible and multi-directional lines of communication must be used in this complex environment. This has implications for the future choice of knowledge transfer strategies.

Beyond the fireground: injuries in the fire service

BackgroundAlthough firefighting and emergency medical services are high-risk professions, few studies have identified the aetiology of injury in the fire service beyond the fireground.MethodsData were collected for work-related injuries in...

National Trends in Occupational Injuries before and after 1992 and Predictors of Workers' Compensation Costs

Numbers and costs of occupational injuries and illnesses are significant in terms of morbidity and dollars, yet our understanding of time trends is minimal. We investigated trends and addressed some common hypotheses regarding causes of fluctuations. We pulled data on incidence rates (per 100 full-time employed workers) for injuries and illnesses from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and on costs and benefits from the National Academy of Social Insurance for 1973 through 2007. Rates reflected all injury and illness cases, lost work-time cases, and cases resulting in at least 31 days away from work. We adjusted dollar costs (premiums) and benefits for inflation and measured them per employed worker. We plotted data in time-trend charts and ran linear regressions. From 1973 to 1991, there was a weak to nonexistent downward trend for injury and illness rates, and rates were strongly and negatively correlated with the unemployment rate. From 1992 to 2007, there were strong, consistent downward trends, but no longer were there statistically significant correlations with unemployment. Significant predictors (and signs) of workers' compensation premiums for 1973-2007 included medical price inflation (positive), number of lost-time injuries (positive), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (negative), and inflation-adjusted interest rate on U.S. Treasury bonds (negative). Dollars of benefits were positively and significantly predicted by medical inflation and number of lost-time cases. For 1992-2007, the Dow Jones variable was the only robust predictor of premiums; the number of injuries was not a significant positive predictor. We had two major conclusions. First, the year 1992 marked a sharp contrast in trends and correlations between unemployment and incidence rates for occupational injuries and illnesses. Second, for the entire time period (1973-2007), insurance carriers' premiums were strongly associated with returns on investments.

Occupational Injury in Rural Bangladesh: Data Gathering Using Household Survey

Occupational injuries are estimated to cause over 300,000 deaths per year worldwide. Many low- and middle-income countries often lack effective injury surveillance systems. We attempted to utilize household surveys to collect occupational injury data to develop more accurate injury incidence data. We undertook a pilot study of this approach in the rural area of Mirsarai, Bangladesh. Surveys were administered to 2,017 males and 120 females. Sixty-five percent were self-employed and over 80% worked in work places with less than six employees; over 60% worked seven days per week. Just over 50% of subjects reported at least one injury at work in the prior year. Incidence of lost-time injuries was 31%. The median number of work days lost was 7. The injury rates were higher than ILO estimates for Bangladesh, perhaps because of our study's focus on a rural population. We recommend expanding to larger and a more representative sample of the Bangladesh working community.

Assessment of Safety Performance Indicators: A Case Study for the Bouri Field

An assessment of the safety performance indicators on board two fixed offshore structures handling petroleum is presented in this paper. Results are based on an analysis of a database of safety activities covering a period of 3 years from 2006 to 2008. The database is compiled by the operating company of the platforms, which are located about 120 km offshore from Libya in the Bouri field. The key safety performance indicators assessed are the potential loss of life, fatal accident rate, average individual risk, lost-time injury frequency, and accident severity index (gravity index). The assessment provides important information on personnel safety performance and rates of injury occurrences on board fixed offshore platforms. The computed values for the safety indicators are then compared with acceptable standard values and with other platforms and regions to assess the current safety performance level on board the platforms. The results could be a valuable tool for improving personnel safety on board the platforms, for identifying changes over time, and for focusing efforts where improvements are needed.

The development and testing of a hierarchical measure of project OHS performance

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine a hierarchical measurement model for occupational health and safety (OHS) performance developed for use in the Australian construction industry and tested over the life of one case study construction project. The model was intended to provide a more sensitive and informative measure of project OHS performance than traditional injury frequency rates.Design/methodology/approachTwo measurement tools were tested. The tools, a monthly weighted safety index and a quarterly safety climate survey, were used to measure OHS performance and performance data are presented.FindingsThe data suggest convergent validity, indicated by consistent results between the two measures. Results also indicated that a combination of measurement techniques provides more comprehensive data pertaining to project OHS performance and enables the diagnosis of OHS issues that would be undetected with reliance exclusively on traditional measures, such as lost time injury frequency rates.Research limitations/implicationsThe implications for future research lie in the demonstrated need to carefully evaluate the validity of the safety index and safety climate survey in future construction projects, and in the broader construction context. The results were limited to an evaluation of the measurement model in a single case study construction project and future testing is needed to determine the generalisability of the model.Practical implicationsThe implications for practice are that multiple measures of OHS performance, including leading indicators and surveys of workers' attitudes and perceptions of project OHS, provide a more useful basis for the development of targeted OHS improvement strategies.Originality/valueThe paper develops a theoretical framework for the measurement of OHS using positive performance indicators and safety climate surveys. The evidence for convergent validity suggests that, in combination with traditional lost time injury rates, these measures provide a more robust method for the early detection and rectification of OHS issues in construction projects.

What kinds of injuries do OSHA inspections prevent?

Objective OSHA's enforcement program is one of the major public efforts to protect American workers. We examine both the scope of injury prevention that inspections can contribute and the types of standards that contribute the most. Methods We linked Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry files for lost-time injuries and employment to calculate injury rates for 1998-2005 for all single-establishment manufacturing firms. We linked these to OSHA inspection records. Results Inspections with penalties did affect injury types unrelated to standards as well as those related. We also found again that citations for violations of the standard requiring personal protective equipment had the largest impact on preventing injuries. Impact on Industry Programs requiring protective equipment use deserve added attention from consultants and inspectors. In addition, some inspections spur managers to undertake safety measures that go beyond compliance with standards.

An impact evaluation of a federal mine safety training regulation on injury rates among US stone, sand, and gravel mine workers: an interrupted time-series analysis.

We evaluated the impact of a safety training regulation, implemented by the US Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in 1999, on injury rates at stone, sand, and gravel mining operations. We applied a time-series design and analyses with quarterly counts of nonfatal injuries and employment hours from 7998 surface aggregate mines from 1995 through 2006. Covariates included standard industrial classification codes, ownership, and injury severity. Overall crude rates of injuries declined over the 12-year period. Reductions in incident rates for medical treatment only, restricted duty, and lost-time injuries were consistent with temporal trends and provided no evidence of an intervention effect attributable to the MSHA regulation. Rates of permanently disabling injuries (PDIs) declined markedly. Regression analyses documented a statistically significant reduction in the risk rate in the postintervention time period (risk rate = 0.591; 95% confidence interval = 0.529, 0.661). Although a causal relationship between the regulatory intervention and the decline in the rate of PDIs is plausible, inconsistency in the results with the other injury-severity categories preclude attributing the observed outcome to the MSHA regulation. Further analyses of these data are needed.

Visual performance for trip hazard detection when using incandescent and led miner cap lamps

Introduction Accident data for 2003-2007 indicate that slip, trip, and falls (STFs) are the second leading accident class (17.8%, n = 2,441) of lost-time injuries in underground mining. Proper lighting plays a critical role in enabling miners to detect STF hazards in this environment. Often, the only lighting available to the miner is from a cap lamp worn on the miner's helmet. The focus of this research was to determine if the spectral content of light from light-emitting diode (LED) cap lamps enabled visual performance improvements for the detection of tripping hazards as compared to incandescent cap lamps that are traditionally used in underground mining. A secondary objective was to determine the effects of aging on visual performance. Method The visual performance of 30 subjects was quantified by measuring each subject's speed and accuracy in detecting objects positioned on the floor both in the near field, at 1.83 meters, and far field, at 3.66 meters. Near field objects were positioned at 0 degrees and ± 20 degrees off axis, while far field objects were positioned at 0 degrees and ± 10 degrees off axis. Three age groups were designated: group A consisted of subjects 18 to 25 years old, group B consisted of subjects 40 to 50 years old, and group C consisted of subjects 51 years and older. Results Results of the visual performance comparison for a commercially available LED, a prototype LED, and an incandescent cap lamp indicate that the location of objects on the floor, the type of cap lamp used, and subject age all had significant influences on the time required to identify potential trip hazards. The LED-based cap lamps enabled detection times that were an average of 0.96 seconds faster compared to the incandescent cap lamp. Use of the LED cap lamps resulted in average detection times that were about 13.6% faster than those recorded for the incandescent cap lamp. The visual performance differences between the commercially available LED and prototype LED cap lamp were not statistically significant. Impact on Industry It can be inferred from this data that the spectral content from LED-based cap lamps could enable significant visual performance improvements for miners in the detection of trip hazards.

Early employer response to workplace injury: What injured workers perceive as fair and why these perceptions matter.

The authors examined whether early employer response to workplace injury affects injured workers' subsequent attitudes and mental health. At 1 month and 6 months postinjury, telephone surveys were conducted with 344 workers from Ontario, Canada, who had experienced a musculoskeletal lost-time workplace injury. One-month reports of initial supervisor reaction to the injury and the use of workplace-based return-to-work strategies (early contact with worker, ergonomic assessment, presence of designated coordinator, accommodation offer) were hypothesized to predict reports of fairness, affective commitment, and depressive symptoms measured at 6 months postinjury. Structural equation modeling supported a model wherein fairness perceptions fully mediated the relationship between early responses and injured workers' attitudes and mental health. Early contact and supervisor reactions were significant predictors of fairness perceptions. The implications for early employer response are discussed.

Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment Plant: Stages 1A and 1B

In 2006, Queensland was in the midst of its worst drought on record. Faced with dwindling water reserves and crippling supply restrictions, the Queensland Government, through the offices of the Coordinator General, turned to Thiess Pty Ltd, one of the state’s oldest construction companies, and global water engineering company Black & Veatch to fast-track the delivery of a vital infrastructure project. In a very short and carefully planned 10 months for Stage 1A, the Thiess/Black & Veatch Joint Venture (TBJV) designed, procured, constructed, commissioned and operated the 20 ML/d Stage 1A plant of the Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment Plant. A few months later, TBJV was awarded the Stage 1B contract to increase the capacity of the Stage 1A plant by 50% and build an additional plant with 36 ML/d capacity. The integration of combined Stages 1A and 1B plants increased capacity to 66 ML/d. The project has been acknowledged as world best practice for a project of this type in terms of quality of build, quality of product and sustainability. The project was completed with an excellent safety record: zero lost time injuries. The environmental management was challenging, however, the project has achieved outstanding results of processing purified recycled water and discharging waste to EPA guidelines, with no harm to people or the environment. Working in close proximity to an active community was also a challenge, which was overcome with a strong relationship with the community and the project was delivered without complaints. The successful outcome was due to TBJV’s capability through the formation of a hand-picked team, experienced with world’s best practice in design innovation. Our team has achieved the project vision, despite the public scrutiny and media publicity, and in the process generated interest from industry leaders worldwide and government ministers from Australia and overseas, including Singapore, USA, China and Malaysia.

Occupational injuries among aides and nurses in acute care

Occupational injuries are common among nursing personnel. Most epidemiologic research on nursing aides comes from long-term care settings. Reports from acute care settings often combine data on nurses and aides even though their job requirements and personal characteristics are quite different. Our objective was to assess risk of work-related injuries in an acute care setting while contrasting injuries of aides and nurses. A retrospective cohort of aides (n = 1,689) and nurses (n = 5,082) working in acute care at a large healthcare system between 1997 and 2004 were identified via personnel records. Workers' compensation filings were used to ascertain occupational injuries. Poisson regression was used to estimate rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Aides had higher overall injury rates than nurses for no-lost work time (RR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1-1.3) and lost work time (RR = 2.8, 95% CI: 2.1-3.8) injuries. The risk of an injury due to lifting was greater among aides compared to nurses for both non-lost work time and lost work time injuries. Injury rates among aides were particularly high in rehabilitation and orthopedics units. Most of the injuries requiring time away from work for both groups were related to the process of delivering direct patient care. Our findings illustrate the importance of evaluating work-related injuries separately for aides and nurses, given differences in injury risk profiles and injury outcomes. It is particularly important that occupational safety needs of aides be addressed as this occupation experiences significant job growth.

Impact of Green Building Design and Construction on Worker Safety and Health

Sustainable, or “green,” rating systems, such as the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), are leading to changes in the way owners, designers, and contractors approach the design, construction, and operation of buildings. The processes and features included in green design and construction may have positive and/or negative impacts on construction worker safety and health. This paper presents the findings of a research study of the impact of green building design and construction practices on construction worker safety and health. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable and lost time injury and illness data from green projects (as identified by LEED) and from nongreen projects was collected through a structured questionnaire survey. The data collected was analyzed to test for the presence of a difference in OSHA recordable incident rates (RIRs) and lost time case rates (LTCRs) between green and nongreen projects. It was found that there was suggestive, but inconclusive evidence of a statistically significant difference in the RIRs of the green and nongreen building projects included in the study. No statistically significant difference was found between the LTCRs for the green and nongreen projects included in the study. The study findings provide valuable information to the construction industry for the purposes of project safety planning and the assessment of safety and health on projects.