Injuries during woodworking, home repairs, and construction

Study was made of 495 consecutive primary care patients treated for woodworking, home repair, and wood-related construction injuries. Mean AIS was 1.2, and 6% were hospitalized. Estimated annual injury rate involving such activities is 3.3/1,000 residents. Fifty-eight per cent of injuries occurred at work. Overall, where complete data are available, 30% of injuries involved use of power equipment, with injury usually resulting from direct contact with the equipment. The lone exception was portable circular or "Skill" saws, with a large proportion of eye injuries from ejected sawdust. Use of non-power equipment was involved in 21% of injuries, and falls from ladders or other elevations 14%. Mean days of complete or partial disability for work, home, and recreational activities were 11.8, 10.4, and 13.3, with 79% of work disability occurring to persons who had not been hospitalized.