Citation

Samant Y, Parker D, Wergeland E, Lund J, Westin S. Int. J. Occup. Environ. Health 2012; 18(4): 292-298.

Affiliation

Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, Trondheim, Norway.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Maney Pub.)

DOI

10.1179/1077352512Z.00000000033

PMID

23433289

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Work-related amputations are serious yet preventable injuries. Workers in the manufacturing sector in particular are vulnerable to amputation injuries compared to workers in other sectors. METHODS: In this study, we used a two-source capture recapture method to estimate the true number of annual work-related amputations in the Norwegian manufacturing sector for a 10-year study period (1998-2007). The two-sources utilized in this study were the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authorities Registry of Work-Related Injuries (RWI) and the Association of Norwegian Private Insurance Companies registry for occupational injuries (ANPIC). RESULTS: We estimated an annual incidence rate that ranged from 21/100 000 to 62/100 000 workers during the study period. Our findings indicate an undercount of amputations reported to the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority's registry ranging from 16% to 58% during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Work-related amputations remain a challenge in the Norwegian manufacturing sector. This study underscores the need of robust epidemiological surveillance infrastructure and effective interventions to prevent amputations at work.

Language: en