Work-Related Ladder Fall Fractures: Identification and Diagnosis Validation Using Narrative Text

Details

• Personal Author:
  Courtney TK ; Lombardi DA ; Mamidi DK ; Matz S ; Perry MJ ; Smith GS ; Timmons RA
• Description:
  OBJECTIVE: To identify ladder-related fracture injuries and determine how ladder fall fractures differ from other ladder-related injuries. METHODS: Ladder-related fracture cases were identified using narrative text and coded data from workers' compensation claims. Potential cases were identified by text searches and verified with claim records. Injury characteristics were compared using proportionate injury ratios. RESULTS: Of 9826 ladder-related injuries, 7% resulted in fracture cases. Falls caused 89% of fractures and resulted in more medical costs and disability days than other injuries. Frequent mechanisms were ladder instability (22%) and lost footing (22%). Narrative text searches identified 17% more fractures than injury codes alone. Males were more likely to sustain a fall fracture than other injuries; construction workers were most likely, and retail workers were the least likely to sustain fractures. CONCLUSIONS: Fractures are an important injury from ladder falls, resulting more serious consequences than other ladder-related injuries. Text analysis can improve the quality and utility of workers compensation data by identifying and understanding injury causes. Proportionate injury ratios are also useful for making cross-group comparisons of injury experience when denominator data are not available. Greater attention to risk factors for ladder falls is needed for targeting interventions. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Epidemiology Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Construction Construction-workers Extension-ladders Injuries Injury-prevention Ladders Statistical-analysis Step-ladders Surveillance-programs
• ISSN:
  0001-4575
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement ; Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; Massachusetts ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  38
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20031335
• Citation:
  Accid Anal Prev 2006 Sep; 38(5):973-980
• Contact Point Address:
  Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, 71 Frankland Rd., Hopkinton, MA 01748
• Email:
  Gordon.Smith@LibertyMutual.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2006
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20040801
• Source Full Name:
  Accident Analysis and Prevention
• End Date:
  20090630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9019e033613e5e35cbdbef5ba5befe47571f70bdba4517b5a61ffb20c4f8ce6753b973c4718b14167b694d2eebcd669bd2ebc2c9752e03ab4d1266e5d6090aa7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/191606/cdc_191606_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 274.42 KB ]