220774 Fatalities Among Foreign-Born Workers in the U.S., 1992-2007

Monday, November 8, 2010 : 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Cammie Chaumont Menéndez, PhD , Division of Safety Research, CDC/NIOSH, Morgantown, WV
Background: In the United States, approximately 20% of all workers who died in 2007 were foreign-born. As foreign-born workers constitute a growing share of the U.S. labor force, it is expected their disproportionate share of workplace injuries and fatalities will continue. The objective of this study was to describe trends in occupational fatal injuries using a national active surveillance system for fatal work-related injuries. Methods: An analysis of fatal injuries among foreign-born workers in the U.S. occurring from 1992 through 2007 was conducted using the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Individual characteristics, employment characteristics, injury events and industry employment were summarized and evaluated for trends. Results: Both the number and proportion of foreign-born workers who died from a traumatic injury increased substantially over the time period studied. Among foreign born workers who died from 1992-2007 due to a work-related traumatic injury, the proportion who were men, aged 25-44 years, Hispanic, working for pay or compensation, employed by business establishments with 10 or fewer employees, working at private residences and working in Construction and Services consistently increased throughout the time period. Decreasing fatality proportions were observed among injuries occurring at public buildings, working in the Retail trade and as a result of Violence and Assault. Conclusions: While some trends among foreign-born decedents are improving, others are worsening. National surveillance databases provide an invaluable tool that allows public health agencies the opportunity and time to monitor the occupational health of a workforce that is difficult to study.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
1. Evaluate the public health burden of fatalities among foreign-born workers. 2. Discuss trends in fatalities due to injury among foreign-born workers

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I work for the federal government (CDC) and conceptualized and conducted the analysis of the data.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

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.