The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #37714

Theodore K. Courtney, MS, CSP¹, Simon Matz, MS¹, and Barbara S. Webster, BSPT, PA-C². (1) Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety and Health, 71 Frankland Road, Hopkinton, MA 01748, (508) 435-9061 x307, theodore.courtney@libertymutual.com, (2) Liberty Mutual Center for Disability Research, 71 Frankland Road, Hopkinton, MA 01748

In 1996 the US construction industry comprised 5.4% of the annual US employment but accounted for 7.8% of non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses and 9.7% of cases involving at least day away from work. While construction injury frequency data are available, less is known about the disability arising from injuries in construction. A multi-disciplinary research team analyzed the construction claims experience (n=35,790) of a large worker’s compensation insurer with national coverage. The leading types and sources of disabling occupational morbidity in the US construction industry were identified. Disability duration (LOD) was calculated from indemnity payments data using previously published methods. The average LOD for an injured construction worker was 50 days with a median of 7 days indicating that at least half of injured workers lost more than one week of work. The most frequently occurring conditions were low back pain (15%), foreign body eye injuries (8.5%), and hand lacerations (7.7%). Back pain also accounted for the greatest percentage of construction claim costs (21.3%). However, the conditions with the longest disability durations were sudden-onset injuries including fractures of the ankle (median=55 days), foot (42 days), and wrist (38 days). Same level and elevated falls were the principal exposures for the wrist and ankle, while elevated falls and struck by incidents accounted for the majority of foot fractures. The results suggest that these most disabling worker injuries can be addressed by increasing prevention resources in slips and falls and other sudden-onset exposures.

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