Work-related eye injuries among union carpenters

Union administrative records were combined with workers' compensation data to identify a cohort of 12,958 active union carpenters, their person-time at risk, and their documented work-related eye injuries between 1989 and 1995 in the state of Washington. The injuries were described using ANSI codes for injury nature, type (mechanism), and source or object associated with the event. Injuries which resulted in paid lost time from work were also described based on the ICD-9 codes attached to claims for their medical treatment. Overall rates of filing compensation claims for eye injuries as well as age, gender, and union local specific rates were calculated. To identify high risk subgroups and explore incident and recurrent events, the person-time and events were stratified by age, gender, time in the union, claim status, and predominant type of work of the union local with which each carpenter was affiliated for multivariate analyses with Poisson regression. Eye injuries were responsible for 12 percent (n = 1730) of workers' compensation claims during this time period, exceeded only by back and finger injuries. Thirty-one claims resulted in paid lost time from work and these cases accounted for one-third of all costs for medical care for eye injuries. At least 10 percent of all medical costs for eye injuries and 35.5 percent of medical costs for eye injuries which resulted in paid lost time were associated with injuries sustained while hammering--a very common carpenter exposure. Claims were filed at an estimated rate of 6.1 per 200,000 hours worked. Individuals with previous compensation claims for eye injuries had rates of injury 1.6 times higher than individuals without previous eye injuries. Rates decreased significantly with age and time in the union. Eye injuries among these union carpenters were very common, but the rate of injuries severe enough to require paid time off work was quite low. These findings raise questions about factors which might influence the failure to use appropriate protection including availability and acceptability of eye protection, use by peers, and perception of risk.     

Work-related self-assessed fatigue and recovery among nurses

Purpose

Adequate recovery opportunities are crucial for preventing long-term health effects of acute load reactions in response to stressful work. However, little is known about the time course of recovery from work during non-working days. Thus, the present study assessed recovery from two consecutive 12-hours day shifts during a period of three rest days among nurses.

Methods

In total, 48 nurses (89.6% females) working in three public Austrian nursing homes completed 5-day self-reporting diaries prior to a work phase consisting of two consecutive 12-hours day shifts followed by three consecutive rest days. Therefore, morning and evening fatigue, distress, vigor and sleep were self-assessed by standardized questionnaires. We analyzed the data using multivariate analysis of variance for repeated measures.

Results

Study participants experienced worse well-being and a greater decline in well-being on working days compared to rest days. Well-being increased from rest day 1 to rest day 2 in fatigue, vigor and distress. Rest day 2 to rest day 3 showed a further improvement in fatigue and vigor.

Conclusions

Understanding the concepts of allostatic load, need for recovery and fatigue is essential to develop personalized working schedules. The results suggest that at least three rest days are necessary for full recovery after two consecutive 12-hours day shifts. Thus, adequate time for recovery enables nurses to maintain caring attitudes with patients, thus contributing to patient safety.

     

Work-related injuries in minors

Since 1938, federal child labor laws have restricted employment of persons under 18 years old, in part to protect them from hazardous occupations. Workers' compensation claims reported to the Supplementary Data System of the Bureau of Labor Statistics were examined to define the current status of occupational injuries among minors. Data tapes from 1980 to 1983 were searched to identify all current claims for injuries and illnesses occurring in 1980 in persons under age 18. Injury rates were calculated using information about employment in 1979 available from the 1980 census. In the 24 states included in this study, 23,823 claims were reported for persons less than 18 years old. Of these claims, approximately 10% were from persons under age 16. Rates of injuries in 16- and 17 year olds were 12.6 per 100 full-time male workers and 6.6 per 100 full-time female workers. Serious injuries included fractures, dislocations, and amputations, accounting for 5.8%, 0.7%, and 0.6% of cases, respectively. California, the only state that coded whether injuries resulted in fatalities, reported 12 deaths in this age group. Machines and vehicles, many of which are restricted under child labor laws, accounted for 8.3% and 5.8% of claims. These data suggest that persons under age 18 years are not adequately protected from occupational injury. Further attention and, possibly, new preventive strategies are needed.     

Work-related injuries among firefighters: sites and circumstances of their occurrence

The aim of the present study was to determine the injury ratio, causes and duration of temporal work disability from on-duty injuries among firefighters, taking into account the site and circumstances of their occurrence. The study was performed on a representative sample of 1503 firefighters from 29 fire stations who were employed between 1994 and 1997. Subject to investigation were data on the number of days and cases of work disability due to on-duty injury, personal data (age, work duration) and data on the circumstances of injury during emergency operations, taking part in compulsory physical training, performing maintenance and repair works, on duty at the fire station, and when commuting to or from work. The analysis of work-related causes and circumstances of injuries among firefighters revealed that the majority of injuries (40%) occurred during compulsory physical training, being responsible for 41% of post-injury absence at work. The workers employed for less than one year were at highest risk of injury. Injuries during emergency operations made 25% of all injuries and accounted for 24% of post-injury absence. The analysis of data showed that the frequency of injuries was not significantly aged-dependent, however, the duration of work disability was found to increase by 20% with increasing age of workers. The results indicated the need for undertaking preventive interventions to minimize occupational hazards to those involved in firefighting.     

Work-related injuries in drywall installation

Administrative data sources were used to describe the work-related injuries of drywall carpenters, to calculate rates of occurrence, and to explore high risk sub-groups. Health insurance eligibility files were used to identify a cohort of active union carpenters affiliated with a union local whose predominant work involved drywall installation in the state of Washington. These files contained the hours worked by each individual for each month between January 1989 and December 1995, providing person-hours at risk as a union carpenter. The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) provided records of workers' compensation claims filed by these individuals. Over seven years 1773 drywall carpenters filed 2567 workers' compensation claims representing an overall rate of 53.3 per 200,000 hours worked. These claims were filed by 1046 different individuals, or 59.0 percent of the cohort. Claims resulting in paid lost time from work were filed at a rate of 12.5 per 200,000 hours worked (n = 609) by 445 (25.1%) different individuals. The most common mechanisms of injury involved being struck (38.3%), overexertion (28.1%), and falls (13.2%). Struck by injuries most commonly involved cuts to the upper extremity. Overexertion injuries were most commonly described as sprains or strains involving the back. Sheetrock was associated with over 40 percent of these injuries. Falls most commonly involved injuries to the knee followed by the back and multiple injuries. Struck by injuries decreased steadily with increasing age and increasing time in the union. There was a steady increase in the rate of falls with increasing age. Overexertion injuries were responsible for the greatest proportion of costs for medical care, permanent impairment, and paid lost days. The high rates of overexertion injuries among these workers is consistent with known ergonomic stresses on drywall jobs. However, these workers are also at high risk of acute traumatic injuries.     

Work-related injuries and illnesses in Botswana

In Botswana over 1,000 work-related accidents resulting in more than three days' absence from work are reported annually, including about 60 fatalities. Hardly any work-related diseases are reported, despite suspicion that they are prevalent. An analysis of 498 cases in Gaborone district for the year 2000 indicates that road traffic accidents accounted for about 80% of all work-related fatalities, and that the majority of the victims of fatal accidents were government employees. Most accidents occurred in places of employment not regulated by any legislation enforcing occupational safety and health. There is a need for Botswana to put in place performance-based legislation requiring all employers to identify and control hazards. Employers should be encouraged to implement occupational safety and health management systems to improve their safety performances and enhance productivity.     

Preventing recurring injuries from violence: the risk of assault among Cleveland youth after hospitalization.

OBJECTIVES: Although interpersonal violence has increased among urban youth, its epidemiology remains unclear. To prevent such violence, identifying the susceptible population is important. METHODS: Medical records for 998 patients aged 5 to 25 years at an urban hospital were reviewed to compare data for patients admitted for assault-related injuries, those admitted for unintentional injuries, and those for problems other than injuries. RESULTS: Those initially admitted for treatment of assault were found to be at greater risk of subsequent treatment for assault than those admitted for noninjuries. CONCLUSIONS: Admission for injuries caused by violence may increase risk for future assaults; hospitalization may offer an opportunity to interrupt these patterns.     

Work-related injuries in residential and drywall carpentry

Findings are reported on the first two years of an active injury surveillance project designed to test the utility of active injury investigations in identifying causes of injury among a large cohort of carpenters who did residential building and drywall installation. Occupational Safety and Health Administration recordable injuries were reported by participating contractors. Injured union carpenters were interviewed by experienced journeymen trained in a standard questionnaire protocol. Enumeration of workers and hours worked were provided by the union. These data allowed the definition of a dynamic cohort of 4429 carpenters, their hours worked, detailed information on the circumstances surrounding recordable injuries, and possible preventive measures from the perspectives of the injured worker and an experienced journeyman investigator. The overall estimated injury rate (16.9 per 200,000 hours worked) was considerably higher than recent Bureau of Labor Statistics rates despite less than complete ascertainment of injuries. Injuries most commonly involved being struck by or against something, manual materials handling injuries, and falls. Manual materials handling injuries often involved very heavy objects or tasks and were injuries carpenters most often reported needs for adequate help and coordinated team work to prevent. Falls from heights occurred from a variety of surfaces and were not just injuries of inexperience. Carpenters reported the need for more attention to common fall protection practices, such as the use of more toe boards and guardrails. Poor housekeeping was involved in the majority of same level falls, as well as some manual materials handling injuries.     

护士针刺伤综合干预效果分析

目的探讨对护士进行针刺伤综合干预的效果。方法采取规范操作流程、职业安全培训、操作演练和督查相结合的方法对护士进行针刺伤综合干预,比较干预前后护士针刺伤发生情况。结果 2012年护士针刺伤发生率为2.38%,低于2011年的11.44%,差异有统计学意义(χ2=20.022,P0.001)。2012年护士临床工作中拔针环节、注射及采血环节针刺伤发生率较2011年明显降低(均P0.01),差异均有统计学意义(均P0.05)。结论对护士实施针刺伤综合干预,可以有效减少其针刺伤的发生,值得推广应用。     

Needlestick injuries among nurses of Fars province, Iran

PURPOSE: A prevalence survey was performed to estimate the magnitude and predictors for needlestick injury (NSI) in nurses of Fars province hospitals. METHODS: Questionnaires were distributed in 52 hospitals to a stratified random sample of 2,118 (46.3%) nurses between April and September 2005 to collect self-reported NSI in the past 12- months. RESULTS: Of the 1,555 nurses who returned a completed questionnaire, 49.6% (95% confidence interval [95 CI] 47.1%-52.1%) recalled at least one sharps injury, of which 52.6% were classified as NSI. Just over one fourth (26.3%; 95 CI 24.1%-28.6%, 409/1,555) of respondents sustained at least one NSI, 75.6% (95 CI 71.1%-79.6%) recalled having sustained between 1 and 4 injuries in the past 12-months, of which 72.2% involved a hollow-bore needle and 95.1% of injuries involved fingers. Predictors of NSI included being a registered nurse (odds ratio [OR] 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.3) or midwife (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.4-3.9) compared with nurse managers, being employed in a hospital located in other cities smaller than Shiraz (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.8). Nurses who reported a previous contaminated NSI were less likely to sustain a further injury (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.4). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of NSI in Iranian nurses is high, with the majority of injured staff having sustained up to 4 NSIs in a 12-month period. Nearly all NSIs were high-risk injuries involving a hollow-bore needle. Providing nursing staff with safety-engineered devices, including retractable syringes when hollow-bore needles are to be used, will be an important step toward reducing our NSI epidemic.     

汕头市护士锐器伤的流行病学调查与分析

目的 了解临床在岗护士人群锐器伤的发生情况,为制定预防措施提供科学依据.方法 采用问卷方法对汕头市10所医院1314名临床在岗护士进行回顾性流行病学调查.结果 79.07%的护士至少有过一次锐器伤的经历;最近一个月内经历锐器伤的发生率为51.22%,其中文化程度低者、临时聘用、实习期人群锐器伤的发生率相对较高;锐器伤多发生在自班(71.03%);治疗室(40.05%)和急诊室(27.77%)是锐器伤发生的主要场所.锐器伤主要发生的因素是将使用过的针头回套、整理用过的针头及注射器、分离针头及注射器、废弃物处理和掰安瓿.受伤后进行血液检测的仅有6.00%,报告率低(3.20%).结论 加强护士操作技能培训,在临床中推广应用安全产品和技术可减少锐器伤的发生.建立报告制度,指导暴露的医护人员采取正确的紧急处理措施十分重要.     

Work schedule, needle use, and needlestick injuries among registered nurses.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between working conditions and needlestick injury among registered nurses. We also describe needle use and needlestick injuries according to nursing position, workplace, and specialty. DESIGN: Three-wave longitudinal survey conducted between November 2002 and April 2004. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A probability sample of 2,624 actively licensed registered nurses from 2 states in the United States. Follow-up rates for waves 2 and 3 were 85% and 86%, respectively. Respondents who had worked as a nurse during the past year (n=2,273) prior to wave 1 were included in this analysis. RESULTS: Of the nurses, 15.6% reported a history of needlestick injury in the year before wave 1, and the cumulative incidence by wave 3 was 16.3%. The estimated number of needles used per day was significantly related to the odds of sustaining a needlestick injury. Hours worked per day, weekends worked per month, working other than day shifts, and working 13 or more hours per day at least once a week were each significantly associated with needlestick injuries. A factor combining these variables was significantly associated with needlestick injuries even after adjustment for job demands, although this association was somewhat explained by physical job demands. CONCLUSIONS: Despite advances in protecting workers from needlestick injuries, extended work schedules and their concomitant physical demands are still contributing to the occurrence of injuries and illnesses to nurses. Such working conditions, if modified, could lead to further reductions in needlestick injuries.     

Work-related injuries and diseases of farmers in Korea

It is very difficult to understand the current status of work-related injuries and diseases in farmers comprehensively. However, various work-related injuries and diseases in Korean farmers are thought to occur, including injuries by farming machinery and tools, pesticide poisoning, peasant syndrome, vinyl house disease, respiratory diseases, infectious and skin diseases. Particularly zoonoses including brucellosis, tsutsugamushi disease tend to increase, and musculoskeletal problems by awkward posture, repetition, and long duration work are on the rise. Moreover Korean farmers themselves do not pay much attention to these problems and farmers are not considered a priority by health care facilities either since the number of people involved in farming has declined and have been old aged dramatically in recent years. Yet at the national level, many efforts and concerns for improving agricultural safety and health have recently been made and these issues have become a major focus of research in Korea. This paper was prepared to elucidate the current status of the work-related injuries and diseases of Korean farmers and to provide basic data for future studies.     

不同科室护士锐器伤调查研究

目的 了解临床不同科室护士锐器伤发生现状,为制定职业防护措施提供科学依据.方法 采用回顾性调查的方法,抽取一定数量的护士,填写自行设计的不同科室护士锐器伤调查问卷.结果 不同科室护士锐器伤的发生,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05),其中外科发生率最高为77.0％,其次为急危重科为68.0％、儿科为67.6％、手术室为66.2％;不同科室护士锐器致伤原因前3位分别是:自己不小心占47.95％、操作过于仓促占17.81％、与他人碰撞占6.85％.结论 不同科室护士锐器伤发生率不同,应针对不同科室情况采取有效防护措施,降低锐器伤的发生.