Citation

Fordyce TA, Leonhard MJ, Watson HN, Mezei G, Vergara XP, Krishen L. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2016; 59(11): 948-958.

Affiliation

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Knoxville, Tennessee.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/ajim.22621

PMID

27345858

Abstract

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. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Language: en