Anthony Suruda

Age and fatal work-related falls.

In the work environment, an increased risk of fatal injury from falls is seen at ages not normally considered to be old. This study examined fatality data from a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health death certificate database and from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigations to analyze the relationship of age to fatal work-related falls. For 1980 to 1986, death certificates reported 43 505 fatal work injuries in men, 4179 of which were from falls. Fatality rates from falls showed an increase for older workers beginning with the age group of 45-54, whereas fatal injury rates for other work-related causes did not increase until the age group of 55-64. OSHA investigations of 996 fatal work related falls in 1984-1986 reported that falls from ladders accounted for 20% of fatal falls in workers aged 55 and over, significantly more than the average of 9% of all falls for workers of all ages. OSHA data also showed that fatal falls among older workers were associated with lower energy of impact, which means that the height of fatal falls tends to decrease with increasing age.

Occupationally related hydrogen sulfide deaths in the United States from 1984 to 1994.

Alice Hamilton described fatal work injuries from acute hydrogen sulfide poisonings in 1925 in her book Industrial Poisons in the United States. There is no unique code for H2S poisoning in the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision; therefore, these deaths cannot be identified easily from vital records. We reviewed US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation records for the period 1984 to 1994 for mention of hazardous substance 1480 (hydrogen sulfide). There were 80 fatalities from hydrogen sulfide in 57 incidents, with 19 fatalities and 36 injuries among coworkers attempting to rescue fallen workers. Only 17% of the deaths were at workplaces covered by collective bargaining agreements. OSHA issued citations for violation of respiratory protection and confined space standards in 60% of the fatalities. The use of hydrogen sulfide detection equipment, air-supplied respirators, and confined space safety training would have prevented most of the fatalities.

Impact of the OSHA trench and excavation standard on fatal injury in the construction industry.

Learning ObjectivesRecall the past effectiveness—or lack thereof—of OSHA in lowering injury rates in the workplace, and the influence of the MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration) in the coal mining industry.Describe the course of fatal injury rates before and after revision of an ambiguous consensus standard governing trench and excavation jobs, along with introduction of a targeted inspection program in 1990.Explain whether and how changes in fatality rates depend on the size of construction firms and whether or not workers are unionized. In 1989 the US Occupational Safety & Health Administration revised the excavation and trenching standard. We examined fatal injuries from trench cave-in in the construction industry for five year periods before and after the revision in the 47 US states for which data were available for both periods. There was a 2-fold decline in the rate of fatal injury after revision of the standard, which substantially exceeded the decline in other causes of fatal injury in the construction industry during the same period. The decline was somewhat greater in large business firms but was evident in construction firms of all size classes. The fatality rate from trench cave-in in union construction workers was approximately half that of nonunion workers, but we were unable to determine whether this was best explained by union status, employment of union workers at larger construction firms, or both. This study provides evidence for the effectiveness of OSHA regulation in preventing fatal work injury.

Counting recognized occupational deaths in the United States

The number of recognized occupational fatalities in the United States counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Annual Survey, the most widely known source, is grossly underreported. For 1984, the BLS reported 3,740 occupational deaths, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reported 6,258, and the National Safety Council estimated 11,500. We analyzed the 1984 BLS survey counts for 26 states, by comparing them to death certificate data for trauma, and to reported deaths to workers compensation. The BLS survey, based on self-reporting by employers, showed underreporting in almost all states, which in some cases was severe. Fatalities in small firms employing less than 11 workers were particularly underrepresented. The low BLS total is not explained by a smaller number of workers covered in the survey than in the other published figures. By using existing data sources, we estimate the minimum number of recognized occupational deaths in the United States in 1984 at 7,771. Adjusting the number from death certificates for underreporting gives an estimate of 8,234 from trauma. When corrected for underreporting, death certificate data should be a better basis for counting occupational deaths than the BLS survey.

Fatal injuries in the United States construction industry involving cranes 1984-1994.

There is little published information concerning the epidemiology of injuries in the construction industry involving cranes other than for electrical injury from power line contact. For the 11-year period of 1984 through 1994, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated 502 deaths in 479 incidents involving cranes in the construction industry. Electrocution was the largest category, with 198 deaths (39%) reported. Other major categories were assembly/dismantling (58 deaths, 12%), boom buckling (41 deaths, 8%), crane upset/overturn (37 deaths, 7%), and rigging failure (36 deaths, 7%). The majority of the deaths during assembly/dismantling involved removal of the boom pins from lattice boom cranes. Only 34% of the construction firms employing the fatally injured workers had ever been inspected by OSHA. OSHA cited the employer for safety violations in 436 deaths (83%). Additional worker training, increased OSHA inspections, and crane inspection programs could prevent many crane-related deaths.

Ergonomic risk exposure and upper-extremity cumulative trauma disorders in a maquiladora medical devices manufacturing plant.

Workers at a Nogales, Mexico, maquiladora plant that assembles medical devices were studied to determine the prevalence of upper-extremity cumulative trauma disorders (CTD). Subjects included production workers employed 6 months or longer; of the 148 eligible workers, 145 (98%) participated. Subjects had a mean age of 24.6 years (SD = 5.2; range, 17 to 45) and the mean length of employment was 3.5 years (SD = 2.5; range, 0.5 to 14). Job tasks were videotaped and analyzed for ergonomic risk factors, using pre-defined criteria. All jobs performed by study subjects were found to involve one or more ergonomic risk factors associated with the development of CTD. A CTD questionnaire and screening physical examination format, similar to that used by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in a chicken processing plant study, were administered. Period prevalence of CTD within the previous year, as reported on the questionnaire, was 28%. Prevalence of CTD was 17%, using data from the screening physical examination. Point prevalence (current pain data from the questionnaire plus positive symptoms on the screening physical examination) was 15%. CTD was reported more frequently in women than men (46% and 25%, respectively; P < 0.05) and in subjects who had worked at the plant less than one year (50%; P < 0.05). Workforce turnover (3% monthly) may have resulted in those affected by CTD leaving employment, reducing the apparent CTD rate in experienced workers.

Comparison of N95 Disposable Filtering Facepiece Fits Using Bitrex Qualitative and TSI Portacount® Quantitative Fit Testing

Abstract As a means of evaluating the use of denatonium benzoate (bitrex) as a qualitative fit test agent with filtering facepiece respirators, the bitrex qualitative and TSI Protacount® quantitative fit-test methods were compared using N95 filtering facepieces. Seventy-nine paired tests (trial) were performed. Detection of bitrex during a qualitative fit test or measurement of a fit factor of <100 during a quantitative fit test constituted a failure. Qualitative and quantitative methods were performed using identical test protocols. Data were analyzed using pass/fail criteria, and matched-pair analysis methods were applied. The results of this study indicate that the use of bitrex during qualitative fit testing of N95 disposable filtering facepieces results in an increase in failure and/or rejection in cases where a TSI Portacount (plus N95 companion accessory) quantitatively establishes an acceptable fit.