230012 Allegations of Undercounting in the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 : 8:30 AM - 8:45 AM

Eric Sygnatur, MA , Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department Labor, Washington, DC
John Ruser, PhD , Office of Safety, Health and Working Conditions, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, DC
Recent external studies find that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), based on employers' OSHA logs, substantially underestimates the US total number of workplace injuries and illnesses. This paper describes the various dimensions of the undercount allegations and summarizes the recent studies, which have largely compared aggregate or case-level data from various sources, augmented in the case-level studies with capture-recapture analysis. The paper provides an overview of on-going research conducted and funded by BLS to better understand the nature of the undercount findings. These studies include counting work-related amputations and carpal tunnel syndrome cases with multiple data sources; matching SOII to workers' compensation records; and, interviewing employers about reporting practices on OSHA logs and to workers' compensation.

Learning Areas:
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
Describe the various dimensions of the undercount allegations and provide an overview of the on-going research into the nature of the undercount findings.

Keywords: Occupational Health, Occupational Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I coordinate the undercount research being funded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and I work on the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.
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.