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Background: The Fire service Organizational Culture of Safety (FOCUS) survey is an assessment tool comprised of psychometrically validated metrics of safety climate, safety behavior, and downstream outcomes (organizational and injury) that are specific to the U.S. fire and rescue service. Methods: This analysis consists of a descriptive summary of two independent survey waves (FOCUS 1.0 and 2.0). The fire departments included in these survey waves were from convenience sampling (n1.0 = 275; n2.0 = 170). In addition to department level characteristics, we examined individual level characteristics for firefighters and EMS providers in participating departments (n1.0 = 22,719; n2.0 = 16,882). We conducted regression analyses to examine the associations between safety climate and safety behaviors, organizational outcomes, and safety outcomes. All analyses were stratified by organization type (career, volunteer). Results: Our analysis indicated that a majority of respondents were males (90.7%FOCUS 1.0; 90.4%FOCUS 2.0), non-officers (68.4%FOCUS 1.0; 66.4%FOCUS 2.0), and non-Hispanic Whites (70.8%FOCUS 1.0; 69.5%FOCUS 2.0). For both samples there was a higher prevalence of injuries among individuals in career departments (nFOCUS 1.0 = 3778 [17.5%]; nFOCUS 2.0 = 3072 [18.7%]) than volunteer departments (nFOCUS 1.0 = 103 [8.8%]; nFOCUS 2.0 = 34 [7.4%]). We observed an approximate 10-point difference between the mean scores of Management Commitment to Safety for career and volunteer departments in both samples. We observed associations for two organizational outcomes, Safety Behavior and Job Satisfaction, with Management Commitment to Safety and Supervisor Support for Safety overall and when stratified by organization type. We observed a decrease in the odds of injuries associated with a one-unit increase in Management Commitment to Safety (OR1.0 overall: 0.98, 95% CI 0.97–0.99; OR2.0 volunteer: 0.90, 95% CI 0.85–0.95) and Supervisor Support for Safety (OR1.0 overall: 0.95, 95% CI 0.93–0.97; OR1.0 career: 0.95, 95% CI 0.92–0.98). Conclusions: From our current study, and a prior analysis of a geographically stratified random sample of U.S. fire departments, we identified that from all the organizational outcomes, job satisfaction was most consistently associated with FOCUS safety climate. Further, firefighters in our samples consistently rated Supervisor Support for Safety higher than Management Commitment to Safety. Future interventions should support fire departments in improving their departmental Management Commitment to Safety and maintaining their Supervisor for Safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With globalization, computerization, and accompanying fast-paced work environments, employees often work under high production pressure and in the context of heightened job insecurity. Although these hostile work conditions often co-occur, their negative synergetic effects have been rarely examined. This study aimed to investigate whether these two hostile work environments (i.e., high production pressure coupled with a qualitative job insecurity climate) are related to workplace cognitive failures and subsequent injuries. In particular, we tested the mediating role of cognitive failures in the above-mentioned relationships as well as the interaction effect between the two hostile work environments on cognitive failures. Using 1-month lagged survey data from N = 176 U.S. workers, we found that both production pressure and qualitative job insecurity climate were significantly and positively associated with cognitive failures, which in turn were related to injuries. Further, it was revealed that workers experienced more cognitive failures in response to production pressure when they perceived higher levels of qualitative job insecurity climate compared to workplaces that reported lower levels of qualitative job insecurity climate. We discuss these results in light of their contributions to advancing theoretical understanding of the multiplicative effect of job demands and the practical implications for workers' health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Load carriage tasks during United States Marine Corps (USMC) recruit training can cause injury. Load carriage conditioning, if optimized, can reduce injury risk. OBJECTIVE: To compare injuries sustained by USMC recruits following participation in either the Original Load Carriage (OLC) program or a Modified Load Carriage (MLC) program. METHODS: Retrospective musculoskeletal injury data were drawn from the USMC San Diego Sports Medicine injury database for recruits completing the OLC (n = 2,363) and MLC (n = 681) programs. Data were expressed as descriptive statistics and a population estimate of the OLC:MLC relative risk ratio (RR) was calculated. RESULTS: The proportion of injuries sustained in the MLC cohort (n = 268; 39% : OLC cohort, n = 1,372 : 58%) was lower, as was the RR (0.68, 95% CI 0.61– 0.75). The leading nature of injury for both cohorts was sprains and strains (OLC n = 396, 29%; MLC n = 66; 25%). Stress reactions were proportionally higher in MLC (n = 17, 6%; OLC n = 4, 0.3%), while stress fractures were proportionately lower (MLC n = 9, 3%; OLC n = 114, 8%). Overuse injuries were lower in MLC (– 7%). The knee, lower leg, ankle, and foot were the top four bodily sites of injuries and the Small Unit Leadership Evaluation (SULE), Crucible, overuse-nonspecific, running, and conditioning hikes were within the top five most common events causing injury. The prevalence rates of moderate severity injury were similar (MLC = 23%; OLC = 24%), although MLC presented both a higher proportion and prevalence of severe injuries (MLC = 6%; OLC = 3%, respectively). CONCLUSION: A periodized load carriage program concurrently increased exposure to load carriage hikes while reducing injuries both during the load carriage hikes and overall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work-related deaths are a persistent occupational health issue that can be prevented. However, prevention opportunities can be hampered by a lack of adequate public health resources. The Western States Occupational Network (WestON) is a network of federal, state, and local occupational health professionals that includes a 19-state region of the United States. To encourage public health collaboration, WestON partners examined work-related fatalities within the region. Fatality counts (numerators) were obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries restricted-access research files for all workers ages ≥15 years and fatally injured in WestON states from 2011 through 2017. Estimates of full-time equivalent hours worked (FTE) (denominators) were retrieved from the BLS Current Population Survey. Annual average fatality rates were calculated as number of fatalities per 100,000 FTE over the study period. Rates were stratified by state, select demographics, industry sector, and event/exposure types. Pearson chi-squared tests and rate ratios with 95% confidence probability limits were used to assess rate differences. All analyses were conducted using SAS v.9.4. From 2011 through 2017, the annual average overall occupational fatality rate for the WestON region was 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 FTE, comparable to the overall U.S. fatality rate. Male workers had a fatality rate almost 10 times higher than female workers in the region. Fatality rates increased with successive age groups. Alaska and New Mexico had significantly higher fatality rates for all racial/ethnic groups compared to respective regional rates. Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana had the three highest occupational fatality rates among foreign-born workers. Agriculture/forestry/fishing, mining/oil/gas extraction, and transportation/warehousing/utilities were industry sector groups with the three highest fatality rates regionally. Transportation-related incidents were the most frequent event type associated with occupational fatalities for all 19 states. Work-related fatalities are a crosscutting occupational public health priority. This analysis can be an impetus for collaborative multistate initiatives among a dynamic and varied occupational public health network to better meet the needs of a rapidly changing workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent data reveal an increase in the likelihood of staff injury for those working in the health care and social assistance industries (United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021). Without information summarizing variables pertaining to staff injury in behavior‐analytic service settings, organizational leaders risk the safety of staff they employ. Despite the social relevance, few studies concerning the types of client‐related staff injuries have been published. The purpose of this survey was to gather data on the cause, type, bodily location of, and treatment required for staff injury by surveying organizations that serve individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Respondents ranked the leading cause of injury as client‐to‐staff interactions, type of injury as bite, location of injury as arm, and the most common treatment required as on‐site first aid. These initial data could assist in the identification of job tasks that may be associated with increased risk of injury, potential ramifications of client‐inflicted injuries on staff performance and organizational outcomes, and how to address injuries in settings within an injury‐prone industry. Implications and future research ideas are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article argues that child farm injuries are never accidents and that the professional discipline of agricultural safety and health and the agricultural media failed to keep pace with injury prevention or occupational safety groups that have transitioned their terminology term from accident to incident. It traces the historical roots of the problem of accidents and highlights initiatives undertaken by the U.S. National Farm Medicine Center to replace the term accident with an alternate term.

Background: Evidence suggests that rates of occupational injuries in the US are decreasing. As several different occupational injury surveillance systems are used in the US, more detailed investigation of this trend is merited. Furthermore, studies of this decrease remain descriptive and do not use inferential statistics. The aim of this study was to provide both descriptive and inferential statistics of temporal trends of occupational injuries treated in US emergency departments (EDs) for 2012 to 2019. Methods: Monthly non-fatal occupational injury rates from 2012 to 2019 were estimated using the national electronic injury surveillance system—occupational supplement (NEISS-Work) dataset, a nationally representative sample of ED-treated occupational injuries. Rates were generated for all injuries and by injury event type using monthly full-time worker equivalent (FTE) data from the US Current Population Survey as a denominator. Seasonality indices were used to detect seasonal variation in monthly injury rates. Trend analysis using linear regression adjusted for seasonality was conducted to quantify changes in injury rates from 2012 to 2019. Results: Occupational injuries occurred at an average rate of 176.2 (95% CI = ± 30.9) per 10,000 FTE during the study period. Rates were highest in 2012 and declined to their lowest level in 2019. All injury event types occurred at their highest rate in summer months (July or August) apart from falls, slips, and trips, which occurred at their highest rate in January. Trend analyses indicated that total injury rates decreased significantly throughout the study period (− 18.5%; 95% CI = ± 14.5%). Significant decreases were also detected for injuries associated with contact with foreign object and equipment (− 26.9%; 95% CI = ± 10.5%), transportation incidents (− 23.2%; 95% CI = ± 14.7%), and falls, slips, and trips (− 18.1%; 95% CI = ± 8.9%). Conclusions: This study supports evidence that occupational injuries treated in US EDs have decreased since 2012. Potential contributors to this decrease include increased workplace mechanization and automation, as well as changing patterns in US employment and health insurance access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future of agricultural work in the United States (U.S.) must account for at least two important trends: 1) the persistence of the industry being riddled with high rates of injury and illness and 2) the growing proportion of hired farmworkers compared to family farmworkers working in these dangerous environments. These workers confront structural disadvantages that impede social justice and prosperity. Social structures like policies, economic systems, institutions, and social hierarchies create health disparities, often along the lines of social categories. The result is an already dangerous industry with vulnerable workers facing unjust risks, especially those that are undocumented. Agricultural health and safety professionals and other stakeholders should engage structural competency curricula in order to increase awareness of impact of structures and be better positioned to improve farmworker health and wellbeing. Similar work has been successful in the training healthcare professionals, e.g. the Structural Competency Working Group (SCWG). New strategies are needed to improve farmworker wellbeing and retain an adequate agricultural workforce. A greater understanding of the social and structural concerns that farmworkers face is an important step towards occupational and social justice. It is also clear that it will require collaboration and community-based efforts creating a larger team of people using similar concepts related to the structural influences on whether health and wellbeing are distributed equitably. This work is being moved forward in healthcare, social work, worker organizations, and community-based initiatives. Agricultural health and safety professionals have a vital contribution to make if they join the ranks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latino day laborers (LDL) are a vulnerable population of workers facing considerable risk for occupational injury. Under the guidance of our Community Advisory Board, we developed and tested the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effects of Vales+Tú (You Are Worth More), a workplace injury risk-reduction program implemented by promotores on street-corners where LDL seek employment. The program was informed by theoretical perspectives emphasizing individual and group agency and self-determination. A pilot three-arm cluster-randomized community trial was conducted among 75 LDL. The intervention arms consisted of an individualized Brief Motivational Interview, a Group Problem Solving activity and a standard of care control (OSHA safety cards). We met our study goal of 25 LDL per intervention arm, and contacted 88% of participants post intervention. Participants evaluated the interventions favorably. At post-test, the Brief Motivational Interview group reported significant reductions in exposure to workplace hazards and increases in risk-reduction practices. The Group Problem Solving participants showed significant reductions in exposure to hazards (t -test −4.16, p < 0.001). Both intervention groups increased their reliance on corner peers, a measure of social support. Standard of care participants increased in self-efficacy to work safely. Overall, the only significant different between the three study conditions was in self-efficacy. These findings provide evidence of the feasibility and acceptability of Vales+Tú and show preliminary program efficacy. A large-scale replication trial will permit a more formal modeling of the study findings. Clinical Trial Registration (ClinicalTrials.gov): NCT04378348. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational safety and health (OSH) related agencies have a plethora of injury data available; however, modern data visualization and user-friendly dissemination tools are lacking in this field. This work has created a geospatial platform using geographic information systems (GIS) combined with big data analytics for the southeastern region of United States. Severe injury reports were collected and visualized through state-of-the-art spatial statistics including spatial clustering, heat maps, and hotspots to identify the most vulnerable regions due to various injury types from a safety vantage point. A special focus was also given to the construction industry, considering the hazardous nature of the industry. Statistically significant spatial clustering was observed within the study region, with Moran's I index of 0.49. Hotspots for severe injuries were also identified with approximately 99% confidence level using Getis Ord Gi* statistics. Results indicated statistically significant high-risk zones particularly around city areas with spatial injury rates (SIR) up to approximately 2.84 per county. Analysis also showed increased number of severe injuries during summer months, with approximately 1,000 injuries during the month of June and July. The construction industry accounted for 20% of all injuries, with "caught-in/between" being the highest amongst the four primary causes of severe injuries, commonly known as the "fatal four." Finally, a web-based application was created to disseminate the results. Big data mining coupled with geospatial technology in OSH management can offer decision makers up-to-date and highly geospatial information for severe injuries that can be integrated in developing a comprehensive occupational safety surveillance plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Low wages are associated with an increased risk of occupational injuries. Increasing the minimum wage is one way to increase workers' wages; however, a previous study found that higher state minimum wage was associated with an increase in nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses. This study aims to examine the association between state minimum-wage laws and fatal occupational injuries.Methods: Fatal occupational injury data (2003-2017) for the 50 U.S. states were obtained from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. State minimum-wage law information was obtained from Temple's LawAtlas website. Linear and Poisson regression models were used to analyze the association between state minimum-wage laws and the rates of fatal occupational injury per 100,000 workers. All data were analyzed in 2020.Results: Having a state minimum wage higher than the federal minimum had no statistically significant association with fatal occupational injury rate, (-4.0%, 95% CI= -9.1, 1.5). State minimum wage amount was also not associated with fatal occupational injuries (-4.0%, 95% CI= -9.1, 1.5).Conclusions: Although previous research suggested that state minimum-wage laws were associated with increased rates of nonfatal occupational injuries, these findings indicate that these laws are not associated with an increased risk of fatal occupational injuries. Concerns that raising the minimum wage will lead to worse workplace safety may be unfounded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background 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. Aims To characterize which demographic groups are experiencing occupational ocular injuries in the United States. Methods 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. Results 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%). Conclusions 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prominent line of cultural evolutionary theory hypothesizes that religiously inspired prosocial behavior enhances the fecundity of pious groups, causing them to outcompete non-religious communities and spread their prosocial values. We present evidence concerning contemporary workplace safety, in the United States, that unexpectedly tested implications of this cultural evolutionary hypothesis. Avoiding workplace injury requires cooperation and injury influences fitness, thus cultural evolutionary theory would anticipate that religious communities should exhibit fewer workplace injuries. Indeed, we find that the proportion of a community adhering to a religion correlates negatively with rates of workplace injury in its private-sector establishments. This correlation emerges primarily when secular workplace safety authorities are not prominent, thus echoing evidence that religiously inspired prosocial behavior mainly occurs absent "earthly" sanctioning authorities. Furthermore, the percent of religiously affiliated individuals in a community correlates with safety investments, suggesting that workplace injury reductions in religious communities result from individually costly, group-benefitting cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexican immigrants suffer a disproportionately large number of work-related injuries and deaths given their share of the workforce. Barriers of language, culture, and mistrust are often cited as factors that complicate efforts to reach these workers with occupational safety and health (OSH) interventions. By partnering with the Mexican government and its consulate network in the United States, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health were able to assess the impact of four different information dissemination approaches (posters, passively distributed brochures, actively distributed brochures, and video kiosks) in Spanish in a five-phase study. Exit interviews conducted with Mexicans seeking consular services indicated that while nearly all respondents considered OSH to be of importance, significant differences in impact measures, such as noticing the materials and liking of content, were found when comparing the different approaches. Despite these differences, even the least effective approaches were noticed by large numbers of individuals and significantly increased their stated behavioral intentions regarding OSH. Considering all materials together, significantly more participants reported liking the materials (p < 0.001) than did not, learning something new (p < 0.01), trusting the information (p < 0.05), intending to seek out additional OSH information (p < 0.01), and intending to speak to their bosses about OSH (p < 0.05). These findings contribute to building an evidence base for moving research knowledge into practice, which is an essential, but often overlooked, element of occupational safety and health research, particularly among workers from underserved communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on the concept of precarious employment and longstanding hazards of employment in meat packing and meat processing. Topics include characterized by low wage, poor protection from termination, absence of access to regulatory protections, and benefits associated with standard employment; and experiencing high levels of precariousness as a consequence of job insecurity and economic and political powerlessness.

Nurses encounter unique and substantial challenges in professional practice. Nurses remain at the forefront of care but struggle with work-related fears and risk exposure. These challenges have significantly increased during unprecedented social unrest and the global pandemic making nurses less safe than in previous years. Nurses' fears and risks include patient harm, changing healthcare environments, and psychological and physical harm. This study reveals nurses' fears and highlights the significance of fear on the individual nurse and the profession. Healthcare leaders, administrators, educators, and practitioners must work on creating a culture of preparedness, support, and protection for healthcare workers in all areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and opioid use are a combined burden for construction safety and health. This study examines both issues among construction workers using a large population-based survey. Methods: The prevalence of MSDs in construction was estimated using multi-year data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Prescription opioid [se among workers with MSDs was compared to those without MSDs. Results: About 34% of construction workers had at least one MSD symptom. Compared to those without MSDs, prescription opioid use tripled (aOR = 3.28,95% CI: 2.44 to 4.41) among construction workers with MSD. Conclusions: MSDs are prevalent among construction workers. and prescription opioid use significantly increased among workers with MSDs. It is critical to adopt ergonomic solutions in construction to reduce MSDs, and support workers in injury recovery with effective pain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Economic instability produced by financial crises can increase employment-related (i.e., job insecurity) and income-related (i.e., financial stress) economic stress. While the detrimental impact of job insecurity on safety outcomes has been extensively investigated, no study has examined the concurrent role of financial stress let alone their emotion-related predictors. OBJECTIVE: The present cross-country research sought to identify the simultaneous effects of affective job insecurity and financial stress in predicting employee safety injuries and accidents under-reporting, and to examine the extent to which emotional contagion of positive/negative emotions at work contribute to the level of experienced economic stress. METHODS: We performed multi-group measurement and structural invariance analyses. RESULTS: Data from employees in the US (N = 498) and Italy (N = 366) suggest that financial stress is the primary mediator between emotional contagion and poor safety outcomes. Moreover, greater anger-contagion predicted higher levels of financial strain and job insecurity whereas greater joy-contagion predicted reduced economic stress. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the relevance of considering the concurrent role of income-and employment-related stressors as predictors of safety-related outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications for safety are discussed in light of the globally increasing emotional pressure and concerns of income- and employment-related economic stress in today's workplace, particularly given the recent pandemic spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 brought unprecedented changes in US workplaces, and the activities of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have contributed to a significant reduction in work-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses. Despite this, millions of workers are injured annually, and thousands killed. To reduce the toll, OSHA needs greater resources, a new standard-setting process, increased civil and criminal penalties, full coverage for all workers, and stronger whistleblower protections. Workers should not be injured or made sick by their jobs. To eliminate work injuries and illnesses, we must remake and modernize OSHA and restructure the relationship of employers and workers with the agency and each other. This includes changing the expectation of what employers must do to protect workers and implementing a requirement that firms have a "duty of care" to protect all people who may be harmed by their activities. Only by making major changes can we ensure that every worker leaves work as healthy as they were when their work shift began. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Agricultural employment is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. Workers' compensation coverage requirements for agricultural work vary from state to state, and experience modifier rates (E-mods) affecting insurance premiums sometimes vary drastically across state lines and according to claim severities and farm sizes. We proposed to develop an interactive software application that would educate farmers on the impact of employee time loss on annual E-mod factor change specific to their geographic location and farm size. Methods: We conducted a comparative analysis of workers' compensation formulations, including E-mods among Upper Midwestern states. We performed sensitivity analysis of the formulas to claim amount and payroll to highlight differences related to claim severity and to farm size. Results: The state to state variation and remarkable complexity of these formulas was confirmed. E-Mod factors are shown to increase substantially across states with both claim size and payroll, though are found to be similar across Wisconsin and Minnesota which were examined in detail. Conclusions: The findings confirm that creating a nationally applicable interactive educational software tool for farmers and ranchers to view hypothetical rate changes by inputting on-farm injury scenarios represents a significant challenge and that educational outreach coupled with the use of commercial software, especially as less costly options become available, may serve the role of minimizing misunderstandings by current producers as may other informational sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the severity of commercial fishing accidents in the Gulf of Mexico using data from the USCG. Estimates from ordered probit models find no statistically significant effect for either the IFQGT program or the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010. However, the presence of an NOAA observer on fishing vessels appears to have reduced the severity of injuries during the study period, which can be partially attributed to the success of the USCG vessel safety certification program. Poor weather conditions increase the likelihood of fatality, particularly when a person falls overboard. Information from the interaction effects between poor weather conditions and vessel attributes can be used in designing new commercial fishing vessels to enhance safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The hazardous nature of the agricultural environment, reflected in the numerous injuries and deaths to children who live, work and play on farms, coupled with the lack of a comprehensive national surveillance system in the United States, highlights the need for making the best use of publicly available youth agricultural injury data. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe a 3-year collection of youth agricultural injuries using the publicly available injury and fatality data from AgInjuryNews.org and present recommendations for future injury prevention strategies. Methods: Data were obtained from AgInjuryNews.org, a web-based collection of U.S. news reports of agricultural injuries. We analyzed cases from 2015 to 2017 for youth aged 0–17. We classified injuries as occupational and non-occupational related, based on the Farm and Agricultural Injury Classification (FAIC) code. Each case was also coded for source and event using the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS). Results: Of the 348 injury reports reviewed, 51% were fatal, and about one-third of the victims were 6 years old or younger. Most injuries were non-occupational, and the most frequent injury sources were vehicles (includes tractors and all-terrain vehicles) and machinery. Youth operators, extra riders, roadway operations, and unsupervised youth playing near or in a worksite were four key contributing factors associated with vehicle and machinery related injuries. Conclusions: This study reaffirms that youth agricultural-related injuries and fatalities are still a persistent problem in the United States. The hypothesis generating AgInjuryNews system can provide more current data than traditional surveillance datasets as a tool for understanding the sources of youth agricultural injuries, monitoring injury trends, and informing policy efforts and prevention strategies. Future studies should continue to explore and evaluate the comprehensiveness of this system's data and the impact of its dissemination, as well as similar rural health informatics solutions for integration into sustainable interventions that can be customized and delivered domestically and abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Workplace safety and health is a major public health concern, but largely absent from the school health curriculum. Little is known about teachers' perceptions of teaching workplace safety and health topics. METHODS: We administered a 41‐item questionnaire reflecting the theory of planned behavior, modified to measure knowledge, to 242 middle and high school teachers in career and technical education and academic subjects. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis to assess the measures' psychometric properties and factorial ANOVAs to compare differences among participants' knowledge, attitude toward, self‐efficacy, and intention (to teach) workplace safety and health by sex, prior work injury, and main subject taught. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses indicated the measures reflected the theory. Factorial ANOVAs suggested female teachers had statistically significantly lower mean self‐efficacy scores than did male teachers to teach workplace safety and health. Male occupational career and technical education teachers demonstrated higher mean knowledge scores than male teachers in other subjects. Participants not injured at work had higher knowledge scores than those who had been injured. CONCLUSION: Self‐efficacy (influenced by sex) and knowledge (influenced by subject taught and previous workplace injury) revealed factors that may affect teachers' provision of workplace safety and health education, a critical yet overlooked component of school health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Technical documents are linked such that each enables and constrains how others are used. • Shifting away from rationalist safety rule uses requires using related documents in new ways. • Enable adaptive rule uses by codifying respect for worker judgment in all linked safety documents. • Adaptive rule uses depend on explicit understandings about evaluating accident accountability. Abstract Safety rules have long been associated with a rationalist or compliance/violation logic, meaning that workers must comply with rules, and can expect disciplinary action if they violate them. In recent years, scholars have begun to introduce an adaptation safety paradigm, proposing that rules should be used as "tools" for flexible action. This text analysis examines organizational policy, safety, and training documents associated with US wildland firefighter Doctrine , a policy that aligns with an adaptation safety paradigm because it formally allows firefighters to bend and disregard safety rules according to their judgment. The study tracks how Doctrine -related documents redefined how safety rules and other documents were used on scene and within accountability processes. The analysis also proposes a new technical documentation cycle associated with an adaptation paradigm, which illustrates how documents are linked with each other in policy texts, training manuals, and accident investigation processes and reports. Recommendations for safety scholars and managers include articulating how an adaptation paradigm for safety rules might address concerns related to: (1) how rules are incorporated into "normal" safety practice, (2) when rules enter/inform decision processes, and (3) and how organizations investigate accidents and determine accountability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) collects information on union status for workers fatally injured on the job. Understanding how unions and collective bargaining agreements may affect workplace safety is an important area of research for policymakers, public health officials, employers, workers, and unions. This article provides background on the CFOI program and describes how the program collected union information from 2011 to 2013. It further describes the methods used as part of a special effort in Massachusetts to determine what union information was available in administrative documents. In addition, the article describes methods that may enable other CFOI state agents to generate more robust data and presents Massachusetts data by union and nonunion status for 2011-13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of people 65 years of age or older living in the United States is projected to double by 2030 to 72 million adults, representing 20% of the total U.S. population. Evidence suggests that older Americans are working longer and spending more time on the job than their peers did in previous years. The increased number of older adults working longer is observed not only in the Unites States but also worldwide. There are numerous ramifications associated with the changing demographics and the expanding prevalence of an aging population in the workforce. Dynamics that arise include stereotyping and discrimination, longevity and on-site expert knowledge, variances in workplace behavior, a multigenerational employee pool, chronic disease management, occupational safety, and the application of adaptive strategies to reduce injury occurrences. Occupational health nurses play a pivotal role in implementing best practices for an aging-friendly workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is one of the largest and also most hazardous industries in the USA. It is affected more severely by the business cycle than most other industries. We examined industry trends during the last decade including the severe recession. During 2008 to 2010, as a result of the recession, 2.7 million workers and 20% of all employers left the industry. By 2010, the number and rate of traumatic fatalities had reached its lowest point ever, only to gradually increase again as the industry recovered from the recession. The risks of a fatality were disproportionate with employer size. The small employers (<20 employees), which account for 37.5% of employment, were responsible for 57% of all fatalities. These small employers are less likely to embrace essential safety culture practices and are slow to adopt new approaches to occupational safety and health. These employers—especially those which hire immigrant workers and self-employed workers—lag far behind in terms of adopting even essential elements of good safety cultures and management practices. Currently, there are no restrictions on going into business as a construction contractor or seeking employment as a construction worker. There is a great need to find ways to establish minimum qualifications for becoming a construction contractor and for becoming a construction worker. Some jurisdictions have established minimum occupational safety and health training. This is a good start, but qualifications must include greater emphasis on minimum skills requirements. State and local jurisdictions have good policy tools which could be deployed for this purpose but which have largely been neglected: licensing of both companies and workers could include skills qualifications; construction permits could include requirements for occupational safety and health; and greater use of criminal prosecution could be pursued where it is obvious that basic requirements for safety and health have been ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate injury incidence and factors associated with injury among employees at a large U.S. Army hospital to inform injury prevention planning and health promotion education efforts. Demographics, health behaviors, and injury history were collected by survey from hospital employees between October and December 2014. Descriptive statistics were reported and factors associated with injury were determined using multiple logistic regression. Respondents (380; 56% females, 44% males; 54% active duty military, 45% civilians) reported a prevalence of unhealthy behaviors (e.g., not enough exercise [58%] and poor sleeping habits [49%]). Nearly half of respondents (47%) reported at least one occupational injury in the past 12 months. Leading mechanisms of injuries were repetitive overuse (36%), falls (15%), and single twisting movement/overexertion (14%). Leading activities at the time of injury were physical training (24%), walking/hiking (15%), and lifting or moving objects (11%). Factors associated with injury included active duty military status, less education, tobacco use, overuse of alcohol or drugs, and stress. Health education efforts and materials intended for hospital staff should incorporate identified modifiable injury risk factors (e.g., alcohol and drug use, stress, tobacco use, poor sleep). Injury prevention initiatives should focus on physical training, walking/hiking, and lifting. Establishment of surveillance and routine review of employee injury, illness, and health behavior data are recommended to monitor program effects and collect data necessary to inform future prevention priorities and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses differences mortality patterns and relative hazard due to fatal occupational injuries between native and immigrant workers in the US. Fatal occupational injury data from 2003 to 2010 were examined using survival analysis based on proportional hazards models controlling for categorical variables of race, gender, occupation, and industry. Workers are stratified based on whether they are native to the US (n = 31952) or born abroad (n = 7096). Foreign-born workers are further stratified into region of birth. Foreign-born workers had an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.148 (95 % CI 1.109:1.189) relative to native workers. Stratifying foreign-born workers into region of origin revealed significantly higher adjusted risk of work fatality relative to native workers for most foreign regions. Of fatally injured workers, foreign-born workers have shorter survival before succumbing to traumatic injury during their time of occupational 'exposure' in the workforce. Native-born workers tend to incur fatal injuries at older ages after longer 'exposure'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Industry-related accidents are tragically ubiquitous events, yet their underlying causes remain poorly understood. We focus on an important factor associated with the likelihood of industrial hazards: economic globalization. Specifically, we advance multiple hypotheses that suggest that global economic ties as well as the policies that are intended to facilitate these ties increase the likelihood of major industrial accidents as they induce poor governance and the violation of worker safety and regulations. Methods We combine data on economic globalization with data on major industrial accidents, and examine the relationship between these variables across 137 countries for the period 1971-2012. Results We find a significant positive relationship between economic globalization and the probability of industrial accidents. Results further suggest that the impact of state policies encouraging globalization, such as the removal of barriers to trade and capital flows, is stronger than that of trade and investment flows themselves. Conclusions Our results show that a contradiction may exist between the pursuit of integration into the global economy and a key labor right-the right to a safe workplace-and suggest that pro-globalization policies may exacerbate the governance challenges associated with accident prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The female work in population is growing in the United States, therefore the occupational health and safety entities must start to analyze gender-specific data related to every industry, especially to nontraditional occupations. Women working in nontraditional jobs are often exposed to extreme workplace hazards. These women have their safety and health threatened because there are no adequate policies to mitigate gender-specific risks such as discrimination and harassment. Employers tend to aggravate this situation because they often fail to provide proper reporting infrastructure and support. According to past studies, women suffered from workplace injuries and illnesses that were less prominent among men. Statistics also confirmed that men and women faced different levels of risks in distinct work environments. For example, the rates of workplace violence and murders by personal acquaintances were significantly higher among women. Methods In this paper, the authors analyze prior public data on fatal and nonfatal injuries to understand why we need to differentiate genders when analyzing occupational safety and health issues. Results The analyses confirmed that women dealt with unique workplace hazards compared to men. Conclusions It is urgent that public agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Labor, record gender-specific data in details and by occupations and industries. Practical application The reader will become aware of the current lack – and need – of data and knowledge about injuries and illnesses separated by gender and industry. Finally, safety and health researchers are encouraged to investigate the gender-specific data in all industries and occupations, as soon as they become available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The true burden (morbidity, mortality, disability, cost, pain, distress) of occupational and work-related diseases and injuries is unknown, and what is reported as burden is significantly underestimated. This underestimation affects the way decision-makers view investments in research and worker protection, which in turn has a substantial impact on national welfare and public health. To better describe the societal and individual burdens of occupational and work-related diseases and injuries, we propose an approach to gauge what is known about burden and where new assessments may be made. This approach consists of 4 elements to consider in burden assessments: (1) utilizing multiple domains, including the individual worker, the worker's family, the community in which the workplace is located, the employer, and society as a whole; (2) taking a broader view of the work-relatedness of disease and injury; (3) assessing the impact of the entire working-life continuum; and (4) applying the comprehensive concept of "well-being" as an indicator in addressing contemporary changes in the nature of work, the workplace, and the workforce. Further research on burden and enhanced surveillance is needed to develop these elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Emergency medical services (EMS) workers incur occupational injuries at a higher rate than the general worker population. This study describes the circumstances of occupational injuries and exposures among EMS workers to guide injury prevention efforts.Methods: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health collaborated with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct a follow-back survey of injured EMS workers identified from a national sample of hospital emergency departments (EDs) from July 2010 through June 2014. The interviews captured demographic, employment, and injury event characteristics. The telephone interview data were weighted and are presented in the results as national estimates and rates.Results: Telephone interviews were completed by 572 EMS workers treated in EDs, resulting in a 74% cooperation rate among all EMS workers who were identified and successfully contacted. Study respondents represented 89,100 (95% CI 54,400–123,800) EMS workers who sought treatment in EDs over the four-year period. Two-thirds were male (59,900, 95% CI 35,200–84,600) and 42% were 18–29 years old (37,300, 95% CI 19,700–54,700). Three-quarters of the workers were full-time (66,800, 95% CI 39,800–93,800) and an additional 10% were part-time or on-call (9,300, 95% 4,900–13,700). Among career EMS workers, the injury rate was 8.6 per 100 full-time equivalent EMS workers (95% CI 5.3–11.8). Over half of all injured workers had less than ten years of work experience. Sprains and strains accounted for over 40% of all injuries (37,000, 95% CI 22,000–52,000). Body motion injuries were the leading event (24,900, 95% CI 14,900–35,000), with 90% (20,500, 95% CI 12,800–32,100) attributed to lifting, carrying, or transferring a patient and/or equipment. Exposures to harmful substances were the second leading event (24,400, 95% CI 11,700–37,100).Conclusion: New and enhanced efforts to prevent EMS worker injuries are needed, especially those aimed at preventing body motion injuries and exposures to harmful substances. EMS and public safety agencies should consider adopting and evaluating injury prevention measures to improve occupational safety and promote the health, performance, and retention of the EMS workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article looks at the incidence of injury or illness among workers in the animal slaughtering and processing industry in the U.S. The industry posted 26,600 nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in 2015. The circumstances of the injuries and characteristics of the workers are discussed, as well as cases of injury and illness involving days away from work happened in the industry and cases with job transfers or restrictions because of the accidents.

The US construction industry annually experiences a relatively high rate of fatalities and injuries; therefore, improving safety practices should be considered a top priority for this industry. Modular/prefabricated building construction is a construction strategy that involves manufacturing of the whole building or some of its components off-site. This research focuses on the safety performance of the modular/prefabricated building construction sector during both manufacturing and on-site processes. This safety evaluation can serve as the starting point for improving the safety performance of this sector. Research was conducted based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated accidents. The study found 125 accidents related to modular/prefabricated building construction. The details of each accident were closely examined to identify the types of injury and underlying causes. Out of 125 accidents, there were 48 fatalities (38.4%), 63 hospitalized injuries (50.4%), and 14 non-hospitalized injuries (11.2%). It was found that, the most common type of injury in modular/prefabricated construction was ‘fracture’, and the most common cause of accidents was ‘fall’. The most frequent cause of cause (underlying and root cause) was ‘unstable structure’. In this research, the accidents were also examined in terms of corresponding location, occupation, equipment as well as activities during which the accidents occurred. For improving safety records of the modular/prefabricated construction sector, this study recommends that future research be conducted on stabilizing structures during their lifting, storing, and permanent installation, securing fall protection systems during on-site assembly of components while working from heights, and developing training programmes and standards focused on modular/prefabricated construction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction A 2009 Government Accounting Office (GAO) report, along with numerous published studies, documented that many workplace injuries are not recorded on employers' recordkeeping logs required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and consequently are under-reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), resulting in a substantial undercount of occupational injuries in the United States. Methods OSHA conducted a Recordkeeping National Emphasis Program (NEP) from 2009 to 2012 to identify the extent and causes of unrecorded and incorrectly recorded occupational injuries and illnesses. Results OSHA found recordkeeping violations in close to half of all facilities inspected. Employee interviews identified workers' fear of reprisal and employer disciplinary programs as the most important causes of under-reporting. Subsequent inspections in the poultry industry identified employer medical management policies that fostered both under-reporting and under-recording of workplace injuries and illnesses. Conclusions OSHA corroborated previous research findings and identified onsite medical units as a potential new cause of both under-reporting and under-recording. Research is needed to better characterize and eliminate obstacles to the compilation of accurate occupational injury and illness data. Practical applications Occupational health professionals who work with high hazard industries where low injury rates are being recorded may wish to scrutinize recordkeeping practices carefully. This work suggests that, although many high-risk establishments manage recordkeeping with integrity, the lower the reported injury rate, the greater the likelihood of under-recording and under-reporting of work-related injuries and illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The electric power industry represents a unique subset of the U.S. workforce. We aimed to evaluate the relationships between occupational category, nature of injury, and injury severity among electric power industry workers. Methods The Occupational Health and Safety Database (1995-2013) was used to calculate injury rates, assess patterns of injury severity, and identify at-risk occupations in this population. Results Over the surveillance period, a total of 63,193 injuries were reported. Overall, and severe injury rates were 3.20 and 0.52 per 100 employee-years, respectively. The fatal injury rate was 3.29 per 100,000 employee-years. Line workers experienced the highest risk for fatal injuries and second highest for non-fatal severe injuries, following meter readers. The most severe non-fatal injuries were hernia and rupture; multiple injuries; and CTD/RSI. Fatal injuries were most commonly associated with vehicle collisions and contact with electric current. Conclusions Industry specific surveillance and interventions tailored to high-risk occupations are needed to further reduce severe injuries in this population. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:948-958, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To determine the effectiveness of the COMmunity of Practice And Safety Support (COMPASS) Total Worker Health intervention for home care workers. Methods. We randomized 16 clusters of workers (n = 149) to intervention or usualpractice control conditions. The 12-month intervention was scripted and peer-led, and involved education on safety, health, and well-being; goal setting and self-monitoring; and structured social support. We collected measures at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months, which included workers' experienced community of practice (i.e., people engaged in a common activity who interact regularly for shared learning and improvement). Implementation occurred during 2013 and 2014 in Oregon. Results. In an intent-to-treat analysis, relative to control, the intervention produced significant and sustained improvements in workers' experienced community of practice. Additional significant improvements included the use of ergonomic tools or techniques for physical work, safety communication with consumer-employers, hazard correction in homes, fruit and vegetable consumption, lost work days because of injury, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and grip strength. Consumer-employers' reports of caregiver safety behaviors also significantly improved. Conclusions.COMPASSwas effective for improving home careworkers' social resources and simultaneously impactedboth safety and health factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discloses a general consensus that employer-based survey of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) neither adequately estimates non-fatal occupational injuries nor occupational illnesses and that there is a need for a more coordinated, cost-effective set of approaches for occupational safety and health surveillance. Topics include the conclusions from a 1997 report, the Congressional hearings in 2009 and a study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Background Hired crop workers in the United States are at high risk of occupational injury. Targeted surveillance is important for effective occupational safety efforts. Methods The National Agricultural Workers Survey was utilized to collect injury data during the years 1999, 2002-2004 (period I) and 2008-2010 (period II). Results The overall injury rate declined between the two periods from 4.3 to 2.9/100 per full-time week-based equivalents (FTEWB). Injury rates remained high during both periods for those with greater than 20 years farm experience (3.6 and 3.8/100 FTEWB) and pesticide handling work (4.9 and 5.0/100 FTEWB). Overexertion, contact with objects and equipment, and falls from height were common during both periods. Older workers comprised a greater proportion of injury cases in period II. Conclusion Overexertion that leads to sprains/strains, dangerous ladder use, and pesticide use should be targeted as important risk exposures on the farm. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:408-423, 2016. © Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

U.S. dairy workers suffer occupational injuries and illnesses at rates higher than the national average. Occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS) have been proposed as a way to reduce injuries and illnesses for businesses of all types and sizes. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) On-Site Consultation Service provides assistance establishing an OHSMS to U.S. businesses. As part of this service, the consultants determine the level of OHSMS programming using the Safety and Health Program Assessment Worksheet (Revised OSHA Form 33). A total of 167 dairy industry records were obtained from OSHA. Forty-five of those records had both injury rate and OHSMS data. Using these records, a Spearman Rank-Order correlation was used to determine the strength and significance of the associations between prior injury rates and OSHA measured OHSMS programming level for dairy operations. Additional analyses were conducted to examine potential relationships between workforce size, injury rates, and OHSMS programming levels. There was a negative correlation between OHSMS programming level and injury rates, both for the overall OHSMS and by OHSMS component. Management Leadership was the OHSMS component most strongly associated with lower injury and illness rates. OHSMS interventions, as part of a comprehensive risk management approach for the U.S. dairy industry, may be warranted to help reduce the unacceptable number of injury and illnesses in the U.S. dairy industry. Further research is needed to determine if similar relationships between OHSMS programming and injury rates occur in other industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US construction industry has long been responsible for a high injury and fatality rate. Within this dangerous industry, Hispanic workers are 45% more likely to be injured or killed than their non-Hispanic counterparts. Previous researchers have examined reasons for these disproportionate injury rates but past literature is spurious, fragmented, and incomplete. To address these limitations an in-depth study was launched to explore the perceived challenges that impact the safety of Hispanic construction workers. The primary data collection method was Photovoice, a photograph-based interview process that allows each participant to be the generator of their own data. The results of Photovoice interviews with 17 Hispanic workers in Colorado indicate that, compared with non-Hispanic workers, Hispanic workers perceive that they are: (1) susceptible to an internal pressure to complete work quickly and neglect safety based on their experiences in their home country; (2) assigned more dangerous tasks because of racism and discrimination; (3) more willing to accept dangerous work for fear of losing their jobs and ability to support extended family; (4) less likely to provide feedback to their supervisors and co-workers for fear of negative personal reactions; (5) more likely to be distracted by family issues while at work because of their strong and broad family ties; (6) more likely to ignore criticism because of machismo; (7) more likely to underreport injuries for fear of losing their jobs; and (8) less likely to ask for safety assistance when it is needed because of pride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction This paper examines a number of US chemical industry incidents and their effect on equity prices of the incident company. Furthermore, this paper then examines the contagion effect of this incident on direct competitors. Method Event study methodology is used to assess the impact of chemical incidents on both incident and competitor companies. Results This paper finds that the incident company experiences deeper negative abnormal returns as the number of injuries and fatalities as a result of the incident increases. The equity value of the competitor companies suffer substantial losses stemming from contagion effects when disasters that occur cause ten or more injuries and fatalities, but benefit from the incident through increasing equity value when the level of injury and fatality is minor. Conclusions Presence of contagion suggests collective action may reduce value destruction brought about by safety incidents that result in significant injury or loss of life. Practical Applications This research can be used as a resource to promote and justify the cost of safety mechanisms within the chemical industry, as incidents have been shown to negatively affect the equity value of the not just the incident company, but also their direct competitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most US farmers are small, independent owner-operators, many of whom are exempt from safety regulation and enforcement, as well as age restrictions relative to family members performing hazardous tasks. These smaller farms account for a disproportionate share of the total fatality and injury statistics from farming incidents, contributing to an agriculture-industry death rate that is seven times greater than all occupations combined. In contrast, large agricultural enterprises that employ larger numbers of non-family workers are more regulated and more highly incentivized by economic, supply chain, and societal factors to implement cultures of safety, and are more readily influenced by agricultural opinion leaders, agribusinesses, farm organizations, and agricultural media. These agricultural influencer institutions must find ways to play more significant roles in changing the culture on operations that use only family labor. They will find willing partners in safety organizations such as the Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America (ASHCA), Agricultural Extension, and other health and safety advocates, including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-funded agricultural research centers. The overall workplace injury statistics for agriculture remain alarming; however, with leadership from the larger farm operations, and help from ASHCA, academia, the healthcare community, and others, the current culture of workplace safety and health in agriculture can be impacted in positive ways. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]