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Acute traumatic occupational hand injuries: type, location, and severity
Gary S Sorock1, David A Lombardi, Russ B Hauser
1Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety and Health, 71 Frankland Road, Hopkinton, MA 01748, USA. gary.sorock@libertymutual.com
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
|April 30, 2002
Summary
Occupational hand injuries are common, with lacerations being the most frequent type. Metal items and hand tools are primary causes, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Traumatology
- Public Health Surveillance
Background:
- The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System identifies hands and fingers as frequently injured body parts in workplace incidents.
- Occupational hand injuries represent a significant cause of emergency department visits and lost work time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the types, locations, and severity of occupational hand injuries.
- To identify common injury sources and associated patient demographics in a New England occupational health clinic population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 1166 patients from 23 occupational health clinics across five New England states.
- Data collection focused on patient demographics, occupation, injury type, and injury source.
Main Results:
- Lacerations (62.6%) were the most common injury type, followed by crush injuries (13.1%).
- Metal items (38.4%) and hand tools (24.4%) were the leading causes of injury.
- Workers in machine trades and service industries were most frequently affected.
Conclusions:
- Findings underscore the prevalence of acute traumatic hand injuries in specific occupational groups.
- Results may inform the development of targeted prevention strategies to reduce workplace hand injuries.