Occupational health overview for the wholesale and retail trade industry in US

NIOSH's Prevention through Design (PtD) application in the specific subsector level identifies design-oriented solutions for workplace hazards. The goal of this study is to prioritize high risk tasks by examining the event, exposure, nature, and source of occupational injuries and illnesses among the top 4 high risk subsectors in the wholesale and retail trade (WRT) industry. We reviewed Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2007-2009 fatality, injury, and illness data for the WRT subsectors and provided comparison between the WRT subsectors and other private industry. Incidence rates (IRs) of musculoskeletal disorders during the past 3 years were much higher in the WRT sector (37.1-42.7/10,000 FTEs), compared with IRs for all industries (31.3-35.4). Among the top 4 WRT subsectors, the most common events and exposures associated with nonfatal injury and illness was overexertion (46.2-132.8) followed by contact with objects or equipment (39.3-61.7). Sprains and strains (61.0-157.5) are most common followed by soreness pain (15.9-27.1), compared with IRs of private industry (41.8 and 11.3 respectively). Specific sources include containers (28.4-139.5), parts and materials (7.8-26.6) and worker motion or position (17.9-34.1), compared with IRs for private industry (12.6, 9.4 and 14.4, respectively). Manual material handling and moving tasks should be designed in a way to avoid injury and illness. Programs targeted to high risk tasks in the WRT will also help reduce ergonomic hazards if applied in other industries. Proper equipment and ergonomically well-designed job are keys to improving occupational safety and health.