Trends In Injury Rates Research Articles

Fatal occupational injuries in fishing, farming and forestry 2010-2015.

Every year, 2.3 million people worldwide succumb to work-related accidents and illnesses. The primary industries have long been acknowledged with elevated accident risks. Recent levels and trends of injury and associated fatalities in these sectors are uncertain. An enhanced understanding of these risks in these industries is required for effective injury prevention in the future. This study aimed to describe registered fatalities in the primary industries worldwide, exploring potential disparities between countries and identifying trends in injury rates. Data were obtained on fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers in farming, fishing and forestry for the years 2010-2015 from the International Labour Organization ILO-STAT database. Descriptive statistics and mixed-model regression analyses were conducted. Fatal occupational injuries in upper- and middle-income countries were compared. The study incorporated data from 32 countries: 21 from Europe. America had the highest mean occupational fatality injury rate (76.9). The highest recorded rates for individual countries occurred in Colombia in 2014 (265.2) and Lithuania in 2015 (75.0), and the lowest in Greece in 2012 (0.2). Significant variation in injury rates was evident among the countries. There was no trend in the incidence of fatal injuries from 2010 to 2015, neither for all countries, nor Europe. Middle-income countries had higher occupational fatality injury rate than upper-income countries. The occupational fatality injury rate exhibited considerable variation, ranging from 0.9 to 265.2, and the injury rate was lowest in upper-income countries. There was no trend in the figures 2010-2015.

Sharps Injuries Among Medical Trainees and Attending Physicians.

Sharps injuries are a particularly concerning occupational hazard faced by physicians and are largely preventable. This study compared the proportion and rate of sharps injuries among medical trainees with those among attending physicians by sharps injury characteristics. The authors used data reported to the Massachusetts Sharps Injury Surveillance System from 2002-2018. Sharps injury characteristics examined were department where injury occurred, device, purpose or procedure for which device was used or intended, presence of sharps injury prevention feature, who was holding the device, and how and when the injury occurred. Global chi-square was used to assess differences in the percent distribution of sharps injury characteristics between physician groups. Joinpoint regression was used to evaluate trends in injury rates among trainees and attendings. From 2002-2018, 17,565 sharps injuries among physicians were reported to the surveillance system, 10,525 of which occurred among trainees. For attendings and trainees combined, sharps injuries occurred most in operating and procedure rooms and most often involved suture needles. Significant differences in sharps injuries were found between trainees and attendings with respect to department, device, and intended purpose or procedure. Sharps without engineered sharps injury protections accounted for approximately 4.4 times as many injuries (13,355, 76.0%) as those with protections (3,008, 17.1%). Among trainees, sharps injuries were highest in the first quarter of the academic year and decreased over time, while sharps injuries among attendings had a very slight, significant increase. Sharps injuries are an ongoing occupational hazard faced by physicians, particularly during clinical training. Further research is needed to elucidate the etiology of the observed injury patterns during the academic year. Medical training programs need to implement a multipronged approach to prevent sharps injuries, including increased use of devices with sharps injury prevention features and robust training on safe handling of sharps.

Epidemiology of patellar dislocations in the United States from 2001 to 2020: results of a national emergency department database

ABSTRACT Objectives Recent studies have shown an increasing incidence of patellar dislocations among children and adolescents. Updated, population-based studies of all patellar dislocations in the United States (US), however, are lacking. This study investigated recent trends in injury rates and demographics among patients sustaining patellar dislocations in the US from 2001 to 2020. Methods This descriptive epidemiologic study retrospectively analyzed the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database to identify cases of acute patellar dislocations presenting to US Emergency Departments (EDs) from 2001 to 2020. Annual, overall, and age-adjusted incidence rates (IRs, expressed per 100,000 at-risk person-years) and additional patient/injury characteristics were analyzed. Average annual percent change (AAPC) estimates are presented to indicate the magnitude/direction of trends in annual injury rates. Results An estimated total of 159,529 patellar dislocations occurred over the study period for an overall IR of 2.58 (95% CI = 2.04–3.12). Accounting for population growth, the overall annual incidence increased significantly from 2.61 in 2001 to 3.0 in 2020 (AAPC = 2.8, p < 0.0001). When considering sex and age, statistically significant increases in annual IRs were observed among males aged 10–19 years (AAPC = 3.8, p < 0.0001), females aged 10–19 years (AAPC = 5.3, p < 0.0001), and females aged 20–29 years (AAPC = 3.5, p = 0.0152), while no significant changes were observed in any other age groups. Two-thirds of patellar dislocations involved sports-related injury mechanisms. The annual incidence of both sports-related and non-sports-related injuries increased significantly over the study period (sports-related: AAPC = 2.6, p = 0.0001; non-sports-related: AAPC = 3.4, p = 0.0001). Athletic patellar dislocations occurred most commonly in basketball and dance. Conclusion The number of patients sustaining patellar dislocations is increasing in the US. Similar increasing trends were observed in both males and females aged 10–19 years, whereas injury rates increased in the third decade only among females. A large percentage of injuries occur during athletic activity, but both sports- and non-sports-related patellar dislocations are on the rise.

2010–2019 Florida Agricultural Deaths Summary

This report summarizes fatal agricultural injury incidents in Florida between 2010 and 2019. This data is important for describing the size and characteristics of agricultural fatalities, populations at risk, risk factors, and temporal and spatial trends in injury rates. Written by Serap Gorucu, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, May 2021.

Injury rates decreased in men’s professional football: an 18-year prospective cohort study of almost 12 000 injuries sustained during 1.8 million hours of play

BackgroundThe UEFA Elite Club Injury Study is the largest and longest running injury surveillance programme in football.ObjectiveTo analyse the 18-season time trends in injury rates among male professional football players.Methods3302...

Estimating the injury rates and causes of fatalities in the Japanese mining industry, 1924–2014

This article investigates the trends in injury rates and causes of fatalities in the Japanese mining industry. Accident data were collected from the Japan Statistics Yearbooks released by the Bureau of the Prime Minister. These data were analyzed to estimate the injury rates and accident causes in the Japanese mining industry. In Japan, the median injury, severe injury and fatality rates were 129.25, 5.44 and 2.99/1000 workers, respectively. A collapsing roof in an underground mine was the principal cause of fatal accidents, accounting for a median value of 21/1000 worker deaths during the entire period under study. In comparison with the accident experience of the USA and the Democratic Republic of Congo, countries with substantial mining industries, the median values of the fatality rates were 0.58 and 0.28/1000 workers, respectively. We conclude that Japanese mineworkers were most exposed to the risk of accidents during the prewar era.

Injury surveillance trends in career–technical education: New Jersey 1999–2018

Introduction: Adolescents engaging in school-sponsored work experiences may be at risk of injury due to factors such as inexperience. This article examines trends in 20 years of reported injuries among New Jersey (NJ) adolescents engaging in school-sponsored work experiences, and compares a transition from paper to online reporting format. Methods: New Jersey requires reporting of injuries occurring during school-sponsored work experiences to the NJ Department of Education. Injuries reported by NJ schools from 1999 to 2018 (n = 2,119) were examined; incidence rates for 2008 to 2018 (n = 743) were calculated using publicly available NJ Department of Education enrollment data for the denominator, including for specific groups of students: career and technical education; special healthcare needs. Results: A downward trend in reported injuries in NJ schools was observed. However, the year online reporting became required by code (2013), an increase of nearly 50% was seen from 2012 (59–89), followed by a decline in reported incidents 2014 to 2018 (mean = 65, range 76 down to 47). Injury rate trends over time paralleled those of reported incidents. Conclusions: This study suggested worker safety and public health benefits of improvements from State of NJ code required training programs and online injury surveillance report form. Practical Applications: One potential method to address the safety and health of adolescents engaging in work experiences is the use of online reporting forms, to aid in surveillance efforts, coupled with occupational safety and health training specifically geared toward teachers and administrators who both supervise young, relatively inexperienced and vulnerable workers and who make relatively frequent worksite visits. Incorporation of specific details of the instructions on the use of a reporting form into required trainings, in addition to providing a clear, accessible guidance manual online, could further help improve youth worker safety surveillance efforts.

Comparing concussion rates as reported by hockey Canada with head contact events as observed across minor ice-hockey age categories

Head injuries in elite and youth sport have garnered growing public attention in part because of high-profile cases of professional athletes suffering career-ending/threatening concussions and because of the increase in medical studies identifying how repeated concussive events can lead to long-term health problems, most notably degenerative brain disease. Public concerns around youth ice hockey are intensifying in light of recent evidence which suggests that effects of head injury are worse for youth than they are for athletes in later stages of life. To better understand concussion injury rate trends across all levels of youth hockey, this paper provides a retrospective analysis of concussion related hockey injury as recorded in Hockey Canada’s Injury Reporting System from the period covering 2009 to 2016, combined with two years of observational research documenting head contact events in minor hockey in the Ottawa and Gatineau regions of Ontario and Quebec. By comparing two different data sets through different methodological designs, it provides important insight into the levels of head contact in youth hockey, how head contact is occurring, and offers commentary about the levels of risk players are exposed to in minor hockey in Canada.

Epidemiology of Operative Foot injuries in College Level Athletes

Category:Hindfoot, Lesser Toes, Midfoot/Forefoot, Sports, TraumaIntroduction/Purpose:Foot injuries represent a broad category of injuries that may have profound implications in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes. Accordingly, a more thorough characterization of these injuries and what predisposes NCAA athletes to them is crucial to their prevention. This study examines the incidence and effect of foot injuries on NCAA athletes and their athletic season.Methods:Foot injuries across 16 sports among men and women during the 2004-05 to 2013-14 academic years were analyzed from the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP). Three common orthopaedic foot injuries were sub-analyzed, including fifth metatarsal injuries (5MT), Lisfranc injuries, and turf toes. Multiple variables were reported including injury rates per 100,000 athlete-exposures (IR), operative rate, annual injury rate trends, re-injury rates, in-season status (pre/in/post-season) at time of injury, and time loss distributions were compiled and calculated.Results:A total of 3718 foot injuries were identified over 10-year period. 4.4% of all injuries were operative. Overall foot injury rate was comparable between male (IR=31.1) and female athletes (IR=32.4); however, the operative injury rate was greater in male compared to female (IR=2.0 vs. 0.6) athletes. The top three operative injuries were 5MT (45.1%), stress fractures (12.2%), and Lisfranc injuries (7.9%). 10.8% of turf toes are re-injury, and average time loss was 7.0 days. 43% of 5MT injuries were operative, and 19.2% were re-injuries. 40.6% of 5MT injuries were season-ending with an average time loss of 36.5 days. 33% of Lisfranc injuries were operative, and 7.5% were re-injuries. 45.9% of Lisfranc injuries were season-ending with an average time loss of 25.9 days.Conclusion:Foot injuries are among the most common form of injuries that occur in NCAA athletics. In addition, these injuries can sometimes lead to significant loss of playing time and may even result in the end of the athlete’s season or career. Certain NCAA sports such as men’s football and basketball may more likely predispose patients to season ending injuries and require operative fixation. Close examination of the kinds of foot injuries and their respective mechanisms may help elucidate trends useful in the development of various prevention strategies.

Epidemiology of Contact and Non-Contact Ankle Injuries in Collegiate Athletes

Category:Ankle, SportsIntroduction/Purpose:Ankle injuries can often have profound implication in the potential careers of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes. Accordingly, a more thorough characterization of these injuries and insight into injury etiology is warranted. In addition, a more comprehensive understanding will allow proper education of athletes when injuries do occur. Here we review the incidence and effect of ankle injuries on NCAA athletes and their athletic season.Methods:Ankle injuries across 16 collegiate sports played by men and women from 2004-05 to 2013-14 academic years were surveyed from the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP). Ankle injury rates per 10,000 athlete-exposures (IR), operative rate, annual injury rate trends, re-injury rates, in-season status (pre/in/post-season) at time of injury, and time loss distributions were perused. In effort to include both male and female atheletes equally, a sub-group analysis of contact sports played by both genders (C-BG) was performed to determine if there was a significant difference in risk when compared to those athletes that did not play contact sports. These sports included basketball, soccer, lacrosse, and ice hockey. Types of ankle injuries (soft tissues or bony) were also sub-classified and counted.Results:Over the course of 10 years, there were 14,080 ankle injures identified (IR=11.9). There were 8,978 (IR=12.1) injuries in males and 5,102 (IR=11.7) injuries in females. The rate of injuries that occurred in C-BG cohort (IR=14.5) was greater than that of the total group of noncontact participants (IR=7.6). When comparing injury rates between all contact sports(IR=14.1) and all noncontact sports (IR=7.6) the difference was found to be statistically significant(p <0 .0001). In the C-BG group, 1.4% of injuries were operative (N=93). The overall mean time loss for C-BG was 10.9 days when excluding patients who had season ending injuries. Across all atheletes, the top three contact sports with season ending ankle injuries were football, basketball, and lacrosse. Importantly,16.8% of all injuries were classified as re-injuries.Conclusion:Ankle injuries represent a common and broad spectrum of injuries in collegiate athletes. A majority of ankle injuries occurred during the regular season with sprains, strains, contusions, and fractures representing the most common types of injuries. Contact sports tend to have higher rates of ankle injuries than noncontact sports. As the consequence of index ankle injury appears to be higher predisposition to reinjury, a better understanding of the kinds of ankle injuries and their respective causes may help elucidate trends useful in the development of various prevention strategies.

Epidemiology of Achilles Tendon Injuries in Collegiate Level Athletes in the United States

Category:Hindfoot, Sports, TraumaIntroduction/Purpose:Achilles tendon rupture is a potentially devastating injury particularly for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes. Little has been studied regarding the incidence and implications of Achilles tendon ruptures in this patient population. Better characterization of the factors commonly found in athletes who rupture their Achilles may provide clues to aid in their prevention.Methods:Achilles injuries across 16 sports among NCAA men and women during the 2004-05 to 2013-14 academic years were analyzed using the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP). Achilles tendon rupture rates per 100,000 athlete-exposures (IR), operative rate, annual injury rate trends, re-injury rates, mechanism of injury, in-season status (pre/in/post-season) and time loss distributions were compiled and calculated. A sub-analysis of contact sports and sports played by both genders (C-BG) was performed to determine if there were significant differences in risks in patients who played in contact sports.Results:N=255 Achilles tendon injuries were identified over 10 academic years (IR: 2.17). The injury rate was higher in males compared to females (IR=2.33 vs. 1.89 respectively). Achilles injuries were most common in Men’s Basketball (IR=4.26), Soccer (IR=3.06), and Football (IR=2.69). The top three women’s sports with Achilles injury were Gymnastics (IR=16.73), Basketball (IR=3.32), and Soccer (IR=1.81). Thirty-three injuries were operative (13.1%) and 14.9% (N=38) were season-ending injuries. The average time loss was 10.65 days when excluding patients who had season/career ending injuries. Reinjury rate was 11.0% (N=28). 61.2% of all injuries occurred during the regular season (N=156) with 36.0% (N=92) and 2.7% (N=7) occurring in pre- and post- season, respectively. There was a significantly greater number of injuries in contact (N=198) versus non-contact sports (N=50) (p<0.001).Conclusion:Achilles tendon ruptures can be devastating injuries in professional and collegiate athletes. In our study, nearly 15% of all NCAA Achilles tendon ruptures resulted in season ending injuries or significant time loss and over 13% of injuries required operative management with a majority of injuries occurring during practice. In addition, a significantly higher proportion of athletes who played a contact sport had Achilles injuries. Better understanding of what circumstances more often tend to result in Achilles injuries can help establish prevention strategies.

Association of Legal Intervention Injuries With Race and Ethnicity Among Patients Treated in Emergency Departments in California

Increased public concern regarding police use of force has coincided with a dearth of available data to uncover the magnitude and trends in injuries, particularly across race or ethnicity. To examine trends in injury rates, severity, and disparities across black individuals, white individuals, Hispanic individuals, and Asian/Pacific Islander individuals. In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, data collected on every hospital visit in California from January 1, 2005, to September 30, 2015, were used to model trends in rates of legal intervention injuries (n = 92 386) per capita and per arrest for men aged 14 to 64 years, by race or ethnicity. The study also examined descriptive statistics on injury dispositions to assess changes in severity. Analyses were conducted between December 2017 and June 2018. All visits with an external cause of injury code of E970 to E977 were classified as legal intervention injuries. This range of codes includes injuries inflicted by the police or other law-enforcing agents in the course of arresting or attempting to arrest lawbreakers, suppressing disturbances, maintaining order, and other legal action. The study identified a total of 92 386 hospital visits that were the result of legal intervention among males aged 14 to 64 years. Black individuals were at the highest risk of legal intervention injury per capita in 2005 (for black vs white individuals, rate ratio, 2.90; 95% CI, 2.74-3.06), and remained so across the study period. Although rates among Asian/Pacific Islander individuals remained stable, rates in all other groups increased from 2005 to 2009 and then declined from 2009 to 2015, nearly returning to 2005 levels. During the period of increasing rates, the black to white disparity widened by 3% annually (rate ratio, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05), then narrowed as rates declined. In contrast, rates of injury per arrest have increased over the past decade, although rates were broadly similar across race or ethnicity. The proportion of injuries involving firearms (ie, shootings by police) declined from 7.0% in 2005 and 2006 to 3.7% in 2014 and 2015. States with central repositories for hospital visits offer data sources to illuminate the public health problem of legal intervention injuries, and warrant greater attention to ensure consistent coding for complete capture.

Multilevel safety climate in the UK rail industry: A cross validation of the Zohar and Luria MSC scale

Despite a downward trend in injury rates in UK workplaces, accident occurrence remains an on-going issue for the rail workforce. Results from the RSSB annual survey reveal that there were 164 major injuries in 2016/17. Safety climate is defined as “shared perceptions with regard to safety policies, procedures and practices.” Many studies have examined the positive effects of safety climate on safety performances by individuals, teams, organizations. Despite widespread attempts to measure safety climate, the validity of measurement tools has not been systematically tested in the rail industry. The primary goal of our research was to validate Zohar and Luria’s (2005) Multilevel Safety Climate Scale in a sample of rail infrastructure workers (N = 528). A cross-validation strategy was adopted. Half of the data were used to conduct exploratory factor analysis (EFA), with the remaining data submitted to confirmative factor analysis (CFA). The statistical results reveal a three-factor structure with organizational safety climate (OSC), supervisor safety communication (SSC), supervisor safety monitoring (SSM). A nomological analysis showed that SSC and SSM presented distinct correlation patterns with other measures of relevance for safety, risk and health management. SSM was found more strongly related with variables such as: safety priorities; safety systems; reporting attitudes; safety compliance. On the other hand, SSC was mainly related with measures refereed to distinct forms of organizational support: supervisor support; peer support; support to change. Overall, our findings showed the validity of a multidimensional approach on the study of safety climate and safety supervision in the rail industry.

Retrospective study of injury rates among children and adults in the Lublin Region of Poland.

In Poland and worldwide, injury rates, as well as accident rates among children and adolescents still remain a social, health and economic problem, despite an attempt to inhibit the growing tendency of this phenomenon. An attempt to evaluate current trends in injury rates among children and adolescents based on the example of two provinces in the Lublin Region of Poland during the period 2006-2010. The retrospective study was conducted by the method of examination of documents, using the technique of content analysis. The research material was data from the Emergency Procedures Charts and Medical Emergency Team Response Charts, while the study group were children and adolescents aged from 6 weeks - 19 years, from the counties of Kraśnik and Świdnik in the Lublin Region. Analysis of the research material showed that during the period examined the number of injuries and accidents in the study group remained on a constant level, with a slight decrease in the number of events at home, accompanied by an increase in the number of road accidents and events which occurred in the school environment and in a public place. It was also found that the spring-autumn season, and in particular the summer months, the age group 7-13 and male gender exerted an effect on the number of injuries and accidents. The analysis did not confirm that injuries related with employment of children and adolescents in agriculture and deaths due to external causes constituted a considerable percentage of the events registered. Analysis of trends should be a basis for the planning of prophylactic actions and the promotion of safety in all environments in which the study population functions.

Improving safety culture through the health and safety organization: A case study

IntroductionInternational research indicates that internal health and safety organizations (HSO) and health and safety committees (HSC) do not have the intended impact on companies' safety performance. The aim of this case study at an industrial plant was to test whether the HSO can improve company safety culture by creating more and better safety-related interactions both within the HSO and between HSO members and the shop-floor. MethodsA quasi-experimental single case study design based on action research with both quantitative and qualitative measures was used. InterventionBased on baseline mapping of safety culture and the efficiency of the HSO three developmental processes were started aimed at the HSC, the whole HSO, and the safety representatives, respectively. ResultsResults at follow-up indicated a marked improvement in HSO performance, interaction patterns concerning safety, safety culture indicators, and a changed trend in injury rates. These improvements are interpreted as cultural change because an organizational double-loop learning process leading to modification of the basic assumptions could be identified. Practical applicationsThe study provides evidence that the HSO can improve company safety culture by focusing on safety-related interactions.

Evaluating the Impact of an Intervention to Reduce Injuries among Loggers in West Virginia, 1999-2007

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a video-based safety training intervention (VBSTI) to reduce injuries among loggers over an 8-year period. WV Workers' Compensation data were used to assess the trend in injury rates, medical and indemnity costs due to logging injuries. There were 1,435 logger injury claims reported and a modest decline in the minor nature of injuries. There was no significant decline in total injury rates or in "struck by object" incidents emphasized in the VBSTI. Among the severe injuries, "head and neck" injuries showed a statistically significant decrease (p = 0.0454), but "falls" showed a statistically significant inverse change (p < 0.05). Medical and indemnity costs showed a statistical significant decrement (p < 0.05). Due to potential confounding, it is inconclusive whether the modest decreases in the claims can be attributed to the VBSTI. There still remains a need to improve the safety of workers in this high-risk employment.

International evaluation of injury rates in coal mining: A comparison of risk and compliance-based regulatory approaches

It is unknown if either of the two dominant regulatory approaches commonly employed in the mining industry to oversee occupational health and safety is superior in terms of reducing workplace injuries. In effort to answer this question, the following study analyzed annual lost-time injury (LTI) rates for bituminous coal mines in the United States (US) with respect to Queensland (QLD) and New South Wales (NSW), Australia from 1996 to 2003. Using the available data sources, changes in the occurrences of accidents and injuries were contrasted between each of these regions. The relationship between secular trends in injury rates and changes in the Australian regulatory structure from compliance-based to a risk-based approach was examined to see if evidence existed that the implementation of risk-based regulatory systems may be associated with substantive improvement in employee safety. Generalized estimating equations were constructed to analyze rates of change in incident rate ratios (IRR) of LTIs among coal mines. From 1996 to 2003, LTIs per 100,000 miners declined 20% in the US as compared with 78% and 52% in QLD and NSW, and the adjusted IRR for each region decreased by 11%, 72% and 44%, respectively. The application of risk-based health and safety regulations in Australia provides one explanation for the differential decline in LTIs among Australian states when compared to the US.

The Challenge of Effective Workplace Change in the Health Sector

There is significant personal injury risk associated with the provision of high-quality healthcare. The magnitude of this risk, combined with the possibility that it can often go underappreciated by caregivers and the organizations they work for, might help explain why the health sector has largely missed out on the benefits of an overall declining trend in injury rates. Despite covering two very different topics in their lead papers, Shamian and El-Jardali and Clements, Dault and Priest present a surprising degree of overlap in relation to what might help enable effective workplace change. Leadership, role clarity, trust, respect, values and workplace culture are all viewed as key enablers of effective teamwork by Clements, Dault and Priest. They could also be considered required ingredients of successful workplace health initiatives, as discussed by Shamian and El-Jardali. A lot of background and positional work regarding teamwork and healthy workplaces exists, but this has not necessarily translated into front-line change. These authors have done an excellent job of pointing out the potential benefits of workplace changes. What is needed now is for someone to take the lead in developing, implementing and evaluating these changes. The adult human form is an awkward burden to lift or carry. Weighing up to 200 pounds or more, it has no handles, it is not rigid, and it is susceptible to severe damage if mishandled or dropped. When lying in bed, a patient is placed inconveniently for lifting and the weight and placement of such a load would be tolerated by few industrial workers.

Trends in work-related musculoskeletal disorder reports by year, type, and industrial sector: A capture-recapture analysis

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are thought to be declining based on Bureau of Labor Statistics survey data, but there is also evidence of MSD under-reporting, raising the possibility of contrary trends. The magnitude of MSD under-reporting over time, and its industry distribution have not been adequately described. Capture-recapture analysis of 7 years of Connecticut MSD (1995-2001), utilizing Workers' Compensation and physician reporting data was performed. Only 5.5%-7.9% of MSD cases appear to be reported to Workers Compensation annually. The capture-recapture estimated average annual rate for upper-extremity MSD was 133.1 per 10,000 employed persons, far above BLS rates. By industry, Manufacturing, State Government, and the Finance/Insurance/Real Estate sectors all had significantly higher MSD rates than Wholesale/Retail Trade. Upper-extremity MSD appears to be significantly under-reported, and rates are not decreasing over time. Capture-recapture methods provide an improved surveillance method for monitoring temporal trends in injury rates.

Use of mechanical patient lifts decreased musculoskeletal symptoms and injuries among health care workers

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of mechanical patient lifts in reducing musculoskeletal symptoms, injuries, lost workday injuries, and workers’ compensation costs in workers at a community hospital. Design: Pre-post intervention...