Citation

Husberg BJ, Fosbroke DE, Conway GA, Mode NA. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2005; 47(5): 428-433.

Affiliation

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Anchorage, Alaska, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/ajim.20158

PMID

15828070

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Construction industry workers are exposed to many hazards leading to fatal and nonfatal injuries. Information for nonfatal work-related injury surveillance may be vague and come from a variety of sources. METHODS: The Alaska Trauma Registry (ATR) is used as an injury surveillance tool to focus on hospitalized nonfatal injuries in the Alaskan construction industry. RESULTS: During 1991-1999, 717 workers in the Alaskan construction industry were hospitalized due to occupational injuries, with an average annual injury rate of 0.39 injuries/100 workers. Leading causes of injury included falls (48%) and machinery (15%). Thirty-four percent of the falls were from a building or structure, followed by falls from a ladder (24%). A fractured bone was the most common type of injury (57%). CONCLUSIONS: Information on hospitalized patients from the ATR focuses on the more severe and debilitating injuries, and provides valuable information for prioritizing injury prevention efforts in Alaska.