Survey Of Occupational Injuries And Illnesses Research Articles

Violence in Health Care: Trends and Disparities, Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey Data of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2011-2017.

Background: The health care sector is one of the most rapidly growing industry sectors in the United States. This study examined differences in the rates and trends of violent occupational injuries among health care workers in the United States. Methods: This study used data about violent occupational injuries among health care workers in the United States collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII). The BLS SOII collects data about injuries that result in at least one lost workday. Violent injuries are defined as intentional injury by another person. Data were obtained for years 2011 to 2017. We examined injury rates and trends according to industry and occupation, as well as age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Results: Intentional injuries increased among health care workers between 2011 and 2017. Rates, expressed as injuries per 10,000 workers, were particularly elevated in residential care facilities (44.07) and among health practitioner support technologists and technicians (22.54); nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides (28.13); and occupational therapy and physical therapist assistants and aides (39.72). Black health care support and practitioners workers had injury rates three times higher than White workers. Conclusions/Application to practice: Efforts should be made to address the increasing rates of intentional occupational injuries among health care workers. These efforts should focus on comprehensive programs enforcing policies for prevention and management (including reporting and training) and employee engagement in such efforts. High-rate industries and occupations should receive particular attention.

Ocular occupational injuries in the United States between 2011-2018.

Current advocacy literature in occupational eye injury focuses on demographics and industries with the largest number of injuries. Additional demographics may also benefit from targeted advocacy that experience a greater proportion of eye injuries relative to all other occupational injuries. To characterize which demographic groups are experiencing occupational ocular injuries in the United States. This cross-sectional study examined de-identified individuals who experienced ocular workplace injuries from 2011 to 2018 and were reported to the survey of occupational injuries and illnesses (SOII). Data were stratified and analysed based on SOII reported characteristics. 197 160 out of 9 197 350 (2%) ocular workplace injuries were reported. 152 940 (78%) injuries occurred in males. Relative to all workplace injuries experienced by industry, farming, fishing and forestry saw the highest percentage of ocular injuries (6%), followed by production, and installation (4%), maintenance and repairs (4%). Employers cited contact with objects (65%) and exposure to harmful substances (26%) as leading reasons for eye injury. Relative to all injuries, chemicals frequently injured the eye (27%). A disproportionate number of American ocular workplace injuries occur in males who are likely relatively young. Industries such as fishing, farming and forestry see a high frequency of ocular injury relative to all occupational injuries. Hispanics see a slight increase in ocular occupational injury relative to other injuries. Advocates of occupational ocular safety should consider expanding their targeted audiences to include individuals who are part of demographics and occupations that more frequently experience an ocular workplace injury relative to all injuries.

Recordkeeping Error or Strategic Seasonal Substitution?: The Seasonality of Occupational Injuries in SOII and MarketScan.

I compare the seasonal patterns observed in the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) to claims data from the IBM® MarketScan® Research Databases. I construct monthly injury rates and claims rates by supplementing occupational injuries and other claims data with hours data from the Current Population Survey and estimate seasonal effects using an Unobservable Components Model. While workers' compensation data and the SOII display similar seasonal patterns, the year-end decline in the MarketScan data is 1/3 to 1/2 the magnitude observed in the SOII. Short-term disability and private health insurance claims display seasonal patterns inversely related to occupational injuries. Part of the year-end decline in occupational injuries observed in the SOII is likely due to recordkeeping error. There is also some evidence of strategic seasonal substitution between various health-compensation alternatives.

Nonfatal Occupational Injuries to Younger Workers - United States, 2012-2018.

Adolescents and young adults represent approximately 13% of the U.S. workforce (1). Compared with adult workers, young workers (aged 15-24 years) experience higher rates of job-related injury (2,3). To describe injuries among young workers and inform research and prevention activities, CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) analyzed national data for 2012-2018 from the occupational supplement to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System* (NEISS-Work) and for 2018 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII).† During the 7-year period, an estimated 3.2 million (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.6-3.7) nonfatal, job-related injuries to young workers were treated in hospital emergency departments (EDs). From 2012 to 2018, annual rates of work-related injuries§ treated in the ED (ED-treated injuries) declined overall across all age groups but ranged from 1.2 to 2.3 times higher for workers aged 15-24 years compared with those for adults aged 25-44 years. Workers aged 18-19 years had the highest rate of ED-treated injuries. In 2018, among all age groups, workers in service occupations¶ had the highest percentage of injuries requiring at least 1 day away from work. Among workers aged 15-17 years, those in the leisure and hospitality industry had the highest percentage of work-related injuries requiring at least 1 day away from work. Occupational injuries can have long-term impacts on health (4). The disproportionate risk of injury among young workers highlights the need for sustained, targeted public health efforts to prepare this population with essential workplace safety and health competencies before they enter the workforce and to provide high-quality safety training and close supervision on the job. NIOSH and its partners developed a free curriculum to teach adolescents workplace safety and health competencies, which includes identification of workplace hazards and methods for addressing them, how to understand their rights and responsibilities as workers, and how to voice concerns about work safety issues (5).

Emergency medical service personnel injury and fatality in the United States

Introduction: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel comprise an intricate part of the public safety net in the US. The purpose of this study was to synthesize data sources to understand the major workplace dangers facing EMS providers. Methods: This study examined four data sources: The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), Firefighter Fatalities and Statistics from USFA, and the EMS Voluntary Event Notification Tool (E.V.E.N.T.). Characteristics of the most common causes of injury and fatalities were described and compared. Results: SOII reports covered 13 years and 64,780 nonfatal reported cases. COFI covered 12 years and 149 fatalities. 111 fatalities from the USFA dataset who had been identified as EMS in some manner in their rank between 2003-2016 were inspected. 21 cases where a firefighter died in the course of providing EMS/patient care were also identified and discussed. All events submitted to E.V.E.N.T. were read and categorized. 214 events were identified as near-miss EMS provider injuries and included in the study. Conclusions: The biggest mortal threat to private EMS personnel is vehicular incidents. Among firefighters/EMTs Heart Attacks was the most common nature of death. The biggest nonfatal concerns are violence, slips, trips, and falls, and overexertion in addition to vehicular incidents. Most violent events were the result of a patient with a Temporarily Altered Mental Status. There is clearly a need for further research to develop evidence-based methods and policies to reduce injury and death in EMS personnel from an agency level.

Multi-source surveillance for work-related crushing injuries.

Work-related crushing injuries are serious but preventable. For 2013 through 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) reported 1260 crushing injuries in Michigan. In 2013, Michigan initiated multi-data source surveillance of work-related crushing injuries. Records from all 134 of Michigan's hospitals/emergency departments (EDs), the Workers Compensation Agency (WCA) and Michigan's Fatality Assessment Control and Evaluation (MIFACE) program were used to identify work-related crushing injuries. Companies, where individuals were hospitalized or had an ED visit for a crushing injury, potentially had an OSHA enforcement inspection conducted. From 2013 through 2015, there were 3137 work-related crushing injury incidents, including two fatalities. The Michigan OSHA program completed inspections at 77 worksites identified by the surveillance system. The Michigan multisource surveillance system identified two and a half times more crushing injuries than BLS and was useful for initiating case-based enforcement inspections.

Workers' compensation claims not reported in the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses: Injury and claim characteristics.

Underreporting in the nation's primary source of non-fatal occupational injury and illness data are well documented, but worker-level characteristics of unreported cases have not been fully explored. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) data were linked to Washington workers' compensation claims to identify injury and claim characteristics associated with unreported cases. Workers' compensation administrative date data were used to characterize timing of disability and SOII case eligibility. Based on claim date data, one in five lost time claims with an injury date in the survey year were likely ineligible for SOII case reporting during the survey year. Among SOII-eligible claims, those involving sprains or strains, employer protests, and those not eligible for work disability payments until months after the initial injury were least likely to be reported in SOII. SOII case capture is limited both by its cross sectional survey design and employer underreporting. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:264-275, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Study to Assess the effectiveness of an Information Booklet in terms of knowledge regarding Occupational hazards and Safety among workers working in selected chemical factories of Ahmedabad district of Gujarat state.

Background India is a growing economy, the world’s most vibrant and largest democracy and an aspiring superpower. Occupational safety and health (OSH) for India is a developmental tool’ and an empowering movement. As a result of globalization, Indian industry is exposed to the latest trends in OSH. Progressive industries have launched many initiatives to spread awareness on OSH among all stakeholders and to reduce OSH risks at workplace. A large number of companies have a corporate health, safety and environment (HSE) policy and have opted for various certifications in OHS [1] .Nearly 3.0 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported by private industry employers in 2012, resulting in an incidence rate of 3.4 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers, according to estimates from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics [2] .India’s population has crossed 1.21 billion according to recently released figures of the last government census carried out in 2011. Of these, 833 million reside in rural area and 377 million reside in urban area. Those in working age group are estimated to be 63.6%. More than 90% work in the informal economy, mainly agriculture and services (60% self-employed and 30% without regular jobs) [3] .Statistics on accidents and occupational illnesses is not easily available. The Director General of the Factory Advisory Services and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) reported 1,509 fatal and 33,093 non-fatal injuries in 2009, using records from registered factories which employed about 5% of total workforce [4] . Research reports suggest that the official figures of fatalities and injuries may be grossly underestimated. The objectives of the study were 1) To assess the knowledge of workers regarding occupational hazards and safety. 2) To evaluate the effectiveness of information booklet on knowledge regarding occupational hazards and safety. 3) To find out association of pre-test knowledge score towards occupational hazards and safety with selected demographic variables of workers. Material and Methods- Data was collected from 6o samples with structured questionnaire to evaluate the effectiveness of informational booklet. Assessment done from 0day,7day and follow up to assess knowledge. Result- Majority of the samples (38.3%) was in the age group of 26-33 years. As regards to gender majority of samples (88.3%) were male. As regards to educational status majority of samples (36.7%) had Higher Education. As regards to the total work experience majority of samples (66.7%) had 1.1-5 years of experience. as regards to Monthly Income majority (68.3%) samples were in 5001-10,000. As regards to types of employment majority of samples (90%) were in temporary type. As regards to source of Information majority of samples (90%) had never attended any seminar or training on OHS. As regards to type of exposure majority of samples (76.7%) had direct exposure. As regards to duration of exposure to dye per day majority of samples (58.3%) had 6 to 9 hours of exposure. As regards to duration of periodical health checkup majority of samples (61.7%) had need base. As regards to presence of any occupational disease or illness majority of samples (83.3%) had no any disease or illness. The mean pre test knowledge score was 11.17 and the mean post test knowledge score was 18.17. Conclusion- The overall experience of conducting this study was satisfying one, as there was good co-operation from patient. The study was a new learning experience for the Researcher. The aim of the study was to assess the factors affecting to compliance of antiretroviral treatment, were 73% patients believe in ART, 72% aware about ART, 69% believe that ART increase life span. 75% stigma affect, 74%respond that special consideration given for ART where they doing job,89% patient said cost of transportation affect 71% experience the side effect, 49% patient said side effect of ART has impact in regularity of treatment, 58% patient said other medicine affects in compliance to ART. These data will assist the health workers to detect the high risk patient who need intervention for compliance to ART.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers in the United States from 1992 to 2014

ObjectivesExamine trends and patterns of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among construction workers in the USA, with an emphasis on older workers.MethodsWMSDs were identified from the 1992–2014 Survey of Occupational Injuries...

Impact of differential injury reporting on the estimation of the total number of work‐related amputations

A capture-recapture analysis was performed to estimate the total number of work-related amputations. We examined the impact of misclassification due to differential injury reporting on the estimate of total number of work-related amputations. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) samples and workers' compensation records (WC) were used to estimate the total number of work-related amputations. Some of the amputation cases in one data source matched with injuries other than amputations in the other data source. We performed sensitivity analyses reassigning such cases as matched amputations. Depending on how we treated the cases matched with other injuries, the total number of work-related amputations ranged from 276 to 442 cases, yielding dramatically different capture rates (35-87%). Due to differential classification, estimates of work-related amputations would be biased. Our findings highlight the importance of accurately reporting and classifying work-related injuries and illnesses.

Exploring the relationship between employer recordkeeping and underreporting in the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

BackgroundLittle empirical data exist to identify the reasons for underreporting in the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) non-fatal occupational injury and illness data.MethodsWe interviewed occupational injury and illness record keepers from Washington State establishments that participated in the 2008 BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII). Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to explore recordkeeping and business practices that may explain SOII's incomplete case capture compared with WC claims data.ResultsMost participants (90%) did not comply with OSHA recordkeeping regulations. Other factors including using workplace injury data to evaluate supervisors' or SOII respondent's job performance, recording injuries for a worksite that operates multiple shifts, and failing to follow SOII instructions were more common among establishments with unreported WC claims.ConclusionBusiness practices that incentivize low injury rates, disorganized recordkeeping, and limited communication between BLS and survey respondents are barriers to accurate employer reports of work-related injuries and illnesses. Am. J. Ind. Med. 57:1133–1143, 2014. © 2014 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The BLS survey of occupational injuries and illnesses: A primer

The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) is the nation's primary surveillance vehicle for nonfatal injuries and illnesses that occur in the workplace. Based on recordable injuries and illnesses as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the SOII provides annual counts and rates by industry and state for workers in private industry and state and local government. In addition, the SOII provides details about the most severe injuries and illnesses, including characteristics of the workers involved and details of the circumstances surrounding the incident. To accompany articles that discuss research into the completeness of SOII data, this commentary provides an overview of the SOII. Included is information about the history of capturing data on workplace injuries and illnesses, current survey processes, annual outputs, and an introduction to the current concerns about underreporting.

An estimate of the U.S. government's undercount of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in agriculture

BackgroundDebate surrounds the accuracy of U.S. government’s estimates of job-related injuries and illnesses in agriculture. Whereas studies have attempted to estimate the undercount for all industries combined, none have specifically addressed agriculture. MethodsData were drawn from the U.S. government’s premier sources for workplace injuries and illnesses and employment: the Bureau of Labor Statistics databanks for the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, and the Current Population Survey. Estimates were constructed using transparent assumptions; for example, that the rate (cases-per-employee) of injuries and illnesses on small farms was the same as on large farms (an assumption we altered in sensitivity analysis). ResultsWe estimated 74,932 injuries and illnesses for crop farms and 68,504 for animal farms, totaling 143,436 cases in 2011. We estimated that SOII missed 73.7% of crop farm cases and 81.9% of animal farm cases for an average of 77.6% for all agriculture. Sensitivity analyses suggested that the percent missed ranged from 61.5% to 88.3% for all agriculture. ConclusionsWe estimate considerable undercounting of nonfatal injuries and illnesses in agriculture and believe the undercounting is larger than any other industry. Reasons include: SOII’s explicit exclusion of employees on small farms and of farmers and family members and Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages’s undercounts of employment. Undercounting limits our ability to identify and address occupational health problems in agriculture, affecting both workers and society.

Injury classification agreement in linked Bureau of Labor Statistics and Workers' Compensation data

BackgroundEstimates of select occupational injuries and illnesses often differ across data sources. We explored agreement in injury classifications and the impact of differences on case estimates among records reported to multiple data sources.MethodsWe linked cases reported in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) to Washington State workers' compensation (WC) claims and evaluated agreement in injury characteristics coded in each data source according to the same occupational injury and illness classification system.ResultsAgreement between data sources was greatest for body part and lowest for event or exposure. Agreement on nature of injury varied by condition. WC-assigned injury codes estimated 94% more amputations than SOII-assigned codes while SOII-assigned codes estimated 34% more work-related MSD cases.ConclusionsAccounting for classification differences may improve case ascertainment within individual data sources and help align injury and illness estimates derived from different data sources. Am. J. Ind. Med. 57:1100–1109, 2014. © 2013 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Injury underreporting among small establishments in the construction industry

There is convincing evidence that occupational injury and illness rates, particularly those reported by employers in the BLS' Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), substantially underestimate the true magnitude of injury and illness in the construction industry. Fifteen years of data from five large nationally representative data sources were analyzed, including SOII, CFOI, CBP, CPS, and MEPS. Regression trends and ratio analyses were conducted, and stratified by establishment size and Hispanic ethnicity. Small construction establishments were most likely to underreport injuries. The SOII data only captured 25% of severe injuries among Hispanic workers, and 60% among white workers in small construction establishments. Underreporting is pervasive in the construction industry for small establishments and Hispanic workers. Given that small establishments are predominant in the U.S. construction industry, they should be the focus of a larger effort to identify the true extent of construction-related injuries.

The impact of OSHA recordkeeping regulation changes on occupational injury and illness trends in the US: a time-series analysis

Objectives: The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) logs, indicates that the number of occupational injuries and illnesses in the US...

Antecedent factors and disabling occupational morbidity--insights from the new BLS data.

Since 1992 the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) annual survey of occupational injuries and illnesses (SOII) has collected data on occupational injuries and illnesses involving 1 or more days away from work (DAW). However, to date, the BLS has not published a comprehensive set of cross-tabulated part of body (BP), nature of injury or illness (NOI), and exposure/event (EE) data. To improve the understanding of the causes of disabling occupational morbidity in the United States, the present study used a special data call and data reduction strategy to identify the leading BP-NOI-EE combinations for DAW cases by frequency, incidence rate, and severity (median DAW) for 1996. The results indicated that the majority of injury and illness morbidity reported by the BLS was related to musculoskeletal conditions of either gradual or sudden onset and traumatic injuries of sudden onset. In particular, traumatic injuries from sudden events such as falls resulted in the most disabling cases. The results indicate that the occupational morbidity identified in the SOII requires interventions focused on overexertion and falls, as well as more traditional injury prevention approaches. The BLS can improve the utility of the system by adding provisions for a second event code to the coding structure and by improving direct access to these data for occupational health and safety professionals.

Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses Associated With Child Labor—United States, 1993

During 1993, an estimated 2.1 million persons aged 16-17 years in the United States were employed. Although many children aged <16 years work, employment data are neither routinely collected nor reported for this age group, and there are no reliable estimates of the number of children in this age group who work. During summer months, when most children are not in school, employment and hours worked by children aged <18 years increase substantially. To characterize workplace-related health and safety hazards for children, CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) analyzed 1993 data for workers aged <18 years from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), a survey administered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor. This report summarizes the results of this analysis and indicates that substantial numbers of persons aged <18 years sustain work-related injuries and illnesses each year.