Citation

Shendell DG, Mizan SS, Marshall EG, Kelly SW, Therkorn JH, Campbell JK, Miller AE. Workplace Health Saf. 2012; 60(9): 401-409.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Publisher SAGE Publications)

DOI

10.3928/21650799-20120828-01

PMID

22938811

Abstract

Investigations of young workers, including limited surveys in supervised school settings, suggested their elevated injury risk. This study identified factors contributing to cuts-lacerations among adolescents in New Jersey secondary school career, technical, and vocational education programs. Of 1,772 injuries reported between December 1, 1998, and September 1, 2010, 777 (44%) were cuts-lacerations; analyses focused on 224 reports (n = 182 post-exclusions) submitted after fall 2005 in three career groups-Food, Hospitality & Tourism (FH&T) (n = 71), Manufacturing & Construction (M&C) (n = 84), and Automotive & Transportation (A&T) (n = 27). Most students were "struck by" tools or hard surfaces (n = 93, 51%); 63 cuts were from knives in FH&T. In M&C, most cuts-lacerations were caused by hand-held tools (n = 18) and being "struck against/by" or "caught between hard surfaces" (n = 19). Males reported more cuts-lacerations (n = 145), most commonly among 11th graders (n = 54) and ages 16 to 17 years (n = 79). Fingers (n = 117) were most often injured, usually by cutting tools (n = 83). Training, supervision, and appropriate equipment, and further assessments of "struck by" and "pinch point" hazards, are needed.

Language: en