Second WCB claims: who is at risk?

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Epidemiology
• Workplace Safety

Background:

• A significant proportion of workers with an initial Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) claim subsequently file a second claim.
• Understanding the predictors of repeat claims is crucial for developing effective return-to-work interventions.
• Identifying at-risk worker and job characteristics can help mitigate the burden of occupational injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the characteristics of workers who are more likely to file a second Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) claim.
• To identify job, injury, and worker factors that predict an early second claim.
• To inform potential interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of repeat work-related injuries.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) claims data from Alberta, Canada (1995-2004).
• Inclusion of individuals aged 18 to <66 years.
• Extraction of claimant demographics, injury/accident details, occupation, industry, company size, and industry claim rates for first claims; time to second claim was analyzed using Cox regression.

Main Results:

• Of 490,230 individuals, 49.2% had at least two claims.
• Male sex, younger age, and specific injury/accident types were associated with a reduced time to a second claim.
• Machining trades (HR 2.54) and manufacturing (HR 1.37) exhibited the highest risk for early second claims compared to administration and business/professional services, respectively.

Conclusions:

• While potential under-reporting and job changes warrant caution, significant risk variations exist among workers, jobs, and industries for repeat claims.
• The findings suggest that targeted interventions can be developed to address specific risk factors and reduce the frequency of second claims.
• Further research and tailored workplace safety programs are recommended to mitigate the impact of work-related injuries.