Traumatic injuries among Alaska's young workers: Linking cases from four data systems.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health
• Injury Epidemiology

Background:

• Young workers (15-24 years) exhibit higher occupational injury rates than older workers in the U.S.
• Limited work experience and safety training contribute to elevated injury risks among young workers.
• Alaska recorded the second-highest work-related fatality rate and 14th-highest non-fatal injury rate in 2018.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the patterns of nonfatal and fatal occupational injuries among young workers in Alaska.
• To analyze injury data from 2014-2018 to identify trends and risk factors.
• To provide data-driven insights for improving young worker safety in Alaska.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from four datasets: Alaska Workers' Compensation, Alaska Occupational Injury Surveillance System, Alaska Trauma Registry, and Alaska Fishermen's Fund (2014-2018).
• Merged and filtered datasets by worker and incident characteristics, with manual duplicate verification.
• Performed descriptive analyses on merged data, including injury narratives and classification codes.

Main Results:

• Over 12,886 nonfatal and 20 fatal injuries occurred among young workers from 2014-2018.
• Top injury occupations included production, food preparation, and transportation/material moving.
• Common injury events were being struck by objects, overexertion, and being struck against objects, with sprains/strains being the most frequent injury nature.

Conclusions:

• Despite progress, young Alaskan workers continue to experience frequent injuries and fatalities.
• An integrated approach involving education, training, supervision, and support is essential for young worker safety.
• Collaboration among employers, public health professionals, and young workers is vital to reduce occupational hazards.