Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #112318

Matthew Keifer, MD, MPH, Dep Env & Occ Hlth Sciences and Int Scholars Occ Env Hlth, University of Washington, Box 357234, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7234, 206.616.1452, mkeifer@u.washington.edu, Karen Snyder, PhD, MPH, Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Box 357234, Seattle, WA 98195-7234, Jonathan N. Hofmann, MPH, Epidemiology, University of Washington, Box 357236, Seattle, WA 98195-7236, Maria Negrete, Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety & Health Center, University of Washington, 1211 South 7th Street, Yakima, WA 98901, Mary K. Salazar, EdD, RN, COHN-S, Occupational Health Nursing Program, Universtiy of Washington, School of Nursing, Box 357262, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, and Hal Stockbridge, WA State Dept. of Labor & Industries, PO Box 44321, Olympia, WA 98504-4321.

Ladders are an essential tool in orchard agriculture. They are also an important cause of injury. In order to improve our understanding of the mechanism of ladder injuries in orchard agriculture we systematically identified and interviewed all available worker compensation claimants between September and November 2002. These workers were identified by a computerized scan of filed worker compensation claims from the region which matched pre-established criteria for selection. Claimants were contacted and invited to be interviewed. An open ended interview attempted to identify the cause of the event that resulted in the injury.

Results: Our recruitment rate was low. A high refusal rate and inaccurate contact information on the worker compensation claims were the two most common causes of recruitment failure. 34 workers agreed to participate in interviews. Claimants identified multiple causes for injury events. These included: weather, equipment, clothing, fruit on the ground and uneven terrain. The most consistent report was that of the ladder moving unexpectedly causing imbalance and a fall. Information derived from the interviews was compared to information on the claim forms. Discrepancies were noted.

Conclusion: Recruitment remains a challenge among the largely migrant farm working population, even those confident enough to participate in the state worker compensation system. Ladder injuries are caused by a variety of mechanisms, many of which relate to ladder instability. Weather factors causing slippery surfaces also represent a significant problem.

Learning Objectives:

• • Recognize the importance of several common factors in the cause of ladder injuries in deciduous tree fruit.
  • Identify the advantage of face to face interviews over simple claim form review in getting to causes of accidents.

Keywords: Agricultural Work Safety, Workers' Compensation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation