Work-related injuries and illnesses and their association with hour of work: Analysis of the Oregon construction industry in the US using workers’ compensation accepted disabling claims, 2007-2013

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to characterize injuries and illnesses among construction workers in the State of Oregon in the US and examine the association between injury frequency and severity with hour of work by using Workers’ Compensation (WC) accepted disabling claims data in the construction industry from 2007 to 2013. Methods: Injury frequency, rate, medical cost, and lost work days were analyzed by year, demographics, employment, injury nature, and temporal factors including hour of work. Multiple linear regression models were used to quantify adjusted associations between hour of work and medical cost and lost work days (indicating injury severity). Results: There were a total of 12 222 disabling claims in the Oregon construction industry. The average annual injury rate was 2.21 per 100 workers. Both the count and rate of disabling claims decreased during the study period. Male workers and young workers had higher injury rates, while medical cost and lost work days increased for older workers. Injuries occurring at night were more severe. The distribution of claims frequency by hour of work was bimodal, with peaks in the 4th and 8th hour. Compared with the first hour of work, the 5th and 13th hours corresponded to significantly more severe injuries and illnesses. Conclusions: This study identified the burden and distribution of work-related injuries and illnesses in the Oregon construction industry. Continued intervention efforts should target certain subpopulations (eg, young workers) and certain working time periods (eg, mid- and end-shift) to protect construction workers’ safety and health.