Multi-source surveillance for work-related crushing injuries.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Injury Surveillance
• Public Health Surveillance

Background:

• Work-related crushing injuries pose significant risks but are preventable.
• From 2013-2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 1260 crushing injuries in Michigan.
• Michigan implemented a multi-data source surveillance system in 2013 to track these injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-data source surveillance system for identifying work-related crushing injuries in Michigan.
• To compare the injury counts from the multi-data source system with existing data sources like the BLS.
• To assess the system's utility in triggering occupational safety and health inspections.

Main Methods:

• Utilized records from 134 Michigan hospitals/emergency departments (EDs), the Workers Compensation Agency (WCA), and the Fatality Assessment Control and Evaluation (MIFACE) program.
• Identified companies with employees hospitalized or treated in EDs for crushing injuries.
• Correlated identified cases with potential Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforcement inspections.

Main Results:

• The surveillance system identified 3137 work-related crushing injury incidents between 2013 and 2015, including two fatalities.
• This represents approximately 2.5 times more injuries than reported by the BLS.
• The Michigan OSHA program conducted inspections at 77 identified worksites.

Conclusions:

• Michigan's multi-data source surveillance system significantly enhances the detection of work-related crushing injuries compared to traditional methods.
• The system proved effective in identifying potential hazards and initiating targeted, case-based enforcement inspections.
• This approach improves occupational safety by providing a more comprehensive understanding of injury trends and enabling proactive interventions.