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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Priscah Mujuru, DrPH MPH RN¹, Jim Helmkamp, PhD, MS, FACE², and Lisa Singla, BDS¹. (1) Department of Community Medicine, West Virginia University, 3852 Health Sciences South, P.O.Box 9190, Morgantown, WV 26506, 304-293-1447, pmujuru@hsc.wvu.edu, (2) Department of Community Medicine, WV Injury Control Research Center, PO Box 9151, Morgantown, WV 26506-9151

Logging plays an important role in the nation's economy but has a high rate of both fatal and nonfatal injuries in comparison to other industries. Studies have reported on risk assessment of logging injuries and fatalities, but not much work has been done to address the safety of these workers. From 1999 through 2004, a standard training targeting owners, supervisors and workers of logging companies was complemented with a video-based intervention that included safe logging cutting and felling techniques, and loading and unloading logging trucks. The impact of the training was evaluated through an analysis of WV Workers' Compensation (WC) claims for logging injuries during the period before the intervention (July 1996 - June1999) and during intervention (July 1999 - June 2004). There were 1884 claimants for the period 1996-2004. The highest number of claims (38.4%) was in the age category of 25-34 yrs. The yearly average of logging-related WC injury claims decreased 15% from 188 in the pre-intervention phase to 160 during the intervention period. Incidence rates per 100 claims decreased from 12.8 to 11.3. The total cost of injuries decreased about 2% from $8,685,587 to $8,519,612. Whereas the median days lost for WV loggers in 2003 and 2004 were 12 and 42 as compared to the nation wide numbers of 8 and 23 respectively. The magnitude of the economic costs underscores the need for active research of injury prevention among loggers and for greater attention from occupational safety and health regulators.

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