Safety and Health at Work Vol. 11 Issue 2 2020
Using Workers’ Compensation Claims Data to Describe Nonfatal Injuries among Workers in Alaska (Original Article)
Dublin Core
Title
Safety and Health at Work Vol. 11 Issue 2 2020
Using Workers’ Compensation Claims Data to Describe Nonfatal Injuries among Workers in Alaska (Original Article)
Using Workers’ Compensation Claims Data to Describe Nonfatal Injuries among Workers in Alaska (Original Article)
Subject
Alaska, Occupational injuries, Workers’ compensation
Description
Background: To gain a better understanding of nonfatal injuries in Alaska, underutilized data sources such as workers’ compensation claims must be analyzed. The purpose of the current study was to utilize workers’ compensation claims data to estimate the risk of nonfatal, work-related injuries among occupations in Alaska, characterize injury patterns, and prioritize future research.
Methods: A dataset with information on all submitted claims during 2014e2015 was provided for analysis. Claims were manually reviewed and coded. For inclusion in this study, claims had to represent incidents that resulted in a nonfatal acute traumatic injury, occurred in Alaska during 2014-2015, and were approved for compensation.
Results: Construction workers had the highest number of injuries (2,220), but a rate lower than the
overall rate (34 per 1,000 construction workers, compared to 40 per 1,000 workers overall). Fire fighters had the highest rate of injuries on the job, with 162 injuries per 1,000 workers, followed by law enforcement officers with 121 injuries per 1,000 workers. The most common types of injuries across all occupations were sprains/strains/tears, contusions, and lacerations.
Conclusion: The successful use of Alaska workers’ compensation data demonstrates that the information provided in the claims dataset is meaningful for epidemiologic research. The predominance of sprains, strains, and tears among all occupations in Alaska indicates that ergonomic interventions to prevent overexertion are needed. These findings will be used to promote and guide future injury prevention research and interventions.
Methods: A dataset with information on all submitted claims during 2014e2015 was provided for analysis. Claims were manually reviewed and coded. For inclusion in this study, claims had to represent incidents that resulted in a nonfatal acute traumatic injury, occurred in Alaska during 2014-2015, and were approved for compensation.
Results: Construction workers had the highest number of injuries (2,220), but a rate lower than the
overall rate (34 per 1,000 construction workers, compared to 40 per 1,000 workers overall). Fire fighters had the highest rate of injuries on the job, with 162 injuries per 1,000 workers, followed by law enforcement officers with 121 injuries per 1,000 workers. The most common types of injuries across all occupations were sprains/strains/tears, contusions, and lacerations.
Conclusion: The successful use of Alaska workers’ compensation data demonstrates that the information provided in the claims dataset is meaningful for epidemiologic research. The predominance of sprains, strains, and tears among all occupations in Alaska indicates that ergonomic interventions to prevent overexertion are needed. These findings will be used to promote and guide future injury prevention research and interventions.
Creator
Devin L. Lucas, Jennifer R. Lee, Kyle M. Moller, Mary B. O’Connor, Laura N. Syron, Joanna R. Watson
Publisher
Elsevier Korea LLC
Date
June 2020
Contributor
Sri Wahyuni
Format
PDF
Language
English
Type
Text
Coverage
Safety and Health at Work Vol. 11 Issue 2 2020
Files
Citation
Devin L. Lucas, Jennifer R. Lee, Kyle M. Moller, Mary B. O’Connor, Laura N. Syron, Joanna R. Watson, “Safety and Health at Work Vol. 11 Issue 2 2020
Using Workers’ Compensation Claims Data to Describe Nonfatal Injuries among Workers in Alaska (Original Article),” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 4, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2001.
Using Workers’ Compensation Claims Data to Describe Nonfatal Injuries among Workers in Alaska (Original Article),” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 4, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2001.