146923 California Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program 1992-2003: A Closer Look at Hispanic Fatalities in Los Angeles County

Monday, November 5, 2007: 2:30 PM

Laura E. Styles, MPH , Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Health Services, Richmond, CA
Henri Cierpich, BS , Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, Lakewood, CA
James Rogge, MD, MPH , Consultant, Chicago, IL
Robert Harrison, MD, MPH , Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Health Services, Richmond, CA
The California Department of Health Services, in collaboration with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, has established the California Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program for the surveillance and investigation of workplace fatalities. The objective of the FACE program is to prevent fatal workplace injuries by identifying high-risk work processes, developing prevention strategies, and informing those who can intervene in the workplace. Fatality investigations target occupational fatalities involving machinery, street/highway construction work zones, youth (under 18 years old), and Hispanic workers. This presentation will focus on Hispanic workers, with an emphasis on those who were foreign-born. The fatality rate for Hispanic workers was 50% greater than it was for non-Hispanic workers (3.8 compared to 2.6). Foreign-born individuals comprised 75% of all Hispanic fatalities in Los Angeles County. The leading cause of death among this population was homicide (34%), falls (15%), transportation (13%), and machine-related (10%). Most of these fatalities occurred in the Construction (19%), Service (19%), Retail (18%), and Transportation, Communication & Public Utilities (15%) sector. The FACE program has completed 173 in-depth fatality investigations since 1992, and approximately half of these involved Hispanic workers. At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to list the industries and occupations that had the most occupational fatalities for foreign-born Hispanic workers, describe the leading causes of death for these workers, and list 5 recommendations for prevention of future fatalities.

Learning Objectives:
1. List the industries and occupations that had the most occupational fatalities for foreign-born Hispanic workers. 2. Describe the leading causes of death for these workers. 3. List 5 recommendations for prevention of future fatalities.

Keywords: Hispanic, Occupational Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
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I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.