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Neck injuries among electric utility workers, 1995-2007
Tiffani A Fordyce1, Libby Morimoto, Jenna Coalson
1Exponent, Inc, Health Sciences Group, Menlo Park, Calif, USA. tfordyce@exponent.com
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
|April 2, 2010
Summary
Neck injuries are common in electric utility workers, particularly among younger trade/craft males. Most injuries are sprains/strains with minimal lost work time, but surveillance can guide prevention.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Injury Epidemiology
- Workplace Safety
Background:
- Neck injuries pose a risk in physically demanding occupations.
- Understanding injury patterns is crucial for effective workplace safety programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence and impact of neck injuries among electric utility workers.
- To identify demographic and occupational risk factors for neck injuries in this workforce.
Main Methods:
- Utilized injury surveillance data from 17 electric utility companies (1995-2007).
- Calculated neck injury rates per 10,000 employee-years.
- Analyzed injury data based on demographic and occupational factors.
Main Results:
- Overall neck injury rate was 13.3 per 10,000 employee-years.
- Younger workers (<30) and trade/craft workers had the highest incidence.
- Sprains/strains constituted the majority (69%) of injuries, with most resulting in <1 lost work day (76.7%).
Conclusions:
- Neck injury occurrence varies significantly by age, sex, and job role in the electric utility sector.
- Industry-wide surveillance aids in identifying injury patterns and risk factors.
- Targeted prevention strategies can be developed to mitigate these workplace injuries.
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