Hidden harm: Quantifying occupational injury under-reporting in veterinary workplaces through modified...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Public Health

Background:

• Occupational injuries are common in the veterinary sector but often under-reported.
• The true extent of injuries and their causes within veterinary practices remains largely unknown.
• Under-reporting poses a significant challenge to understanding and mitigating risks in the veterinary workforce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the extent of injury under-reporting across different roles within UK veterinary practices.
• To audit the types, frequency, and outcomes of workplace injuries in a large veterinary organization.
• To identify factors contributing to injury under-reporting in the veterinary sector.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective audit of an organization's accident reporting system was conducted in 2022.
• A modified capture-recapture method was used to estimate under-reporting rates by comparing audit data with staff survey responses.
• Data were stratified by role and employment figures, with descriptive analysis and comparisons between audit and survey data.

Main Results:

• An overall injury under-reporting rate of 68.9% was found, meaning nearly 69 out of 100 injuries went unreported.
• Companion animal practices exhibited higher under-reporting rates (70.0%) compared to large animal practices (56.4%).
• Key causes of injury in companion animal staff included clinical examination (28.2%), falls/slips/trips (11.2%), drug administration (10.4%), and sharps injuries (6.1%).

Conclusions:

• Occupational injury under-reporting is a significant issue in UK veterinary practices, especially in companion animal settings.
• Improving reporting systems, training, leadership engagement, and incident response are crucial for enhancing safety culture.
• Without better reporting mechanisms, accurately determining the incidence and context of veterinary workplace injuries remains difficult.