Installing a cost-effective rollover protective structure (CROPS): a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Cost-effective rollover protective structures (CROPS) are tractor model-specific rollover protective structures (ROPS) that are as effective as existing ROPS retrofits (passed standardized structural static testing such as SAE J2194), but less costly (less than one-half the cost of existing ROPS retrofits). This study estimated the expected effects and costs at a per-tractor level for two options: No-CROPS and Install-CROPS. Expected injuries per tractor were 0.00169 with no CROPS and 0.00016 with CROPS installed, resulting in 0.00153 injuries prevented per tractor over a 20-year period. Expected costs were $457 and $248 with and without CROPS, respectively, over the same time period, giving the cost per injury prevented as $136,601. Comprehensive sensitivity analyses indicated that the probability of an overturn is one of the most important variables. When the cost of intervention ($1,000 for purchasing, shipping, and installation of ROPS retrofit) is used in the analysis, the cost-effectiveness ratio is $497,000 per injury prevented over the 20-year period. Thus, installing CROPS instead of existing ROPS retrofits improved the cost-effectiveness ratio substantially, with a 73% reduction in the net cost per injury prevented.

A stable dynamic cohort analysis of installing cost-effective rollover protective structures (CROPS).

Cost-effective rollover protective structures (CROPS) are less costly model-specific rollover protective structure (ROPS) retrofits that are being developed and evaluated with the hope of increasing adoption and eventually preventing or mitigating injuries due to tractor overturns. A dynamic cohort of the estimated retrofittable non-ROPS tractors (accounting for attrition due to aging) was tracked over a 20-year period to determine the expected costs, as well as the expected number of fatal and non-fatal injuries resulting from tractor overturns. Two alternatives were tracked: No-ROPS and Install-CROPS. For a starting cohort size of 1,065,164 (an estimate for the year 2004), the Install-CROPS option prevented an estimated total of 878 (192 fatal and 686 non-fatal) injuries over the 20-year period. Expected costs were $513 million (cost of installing CROPS on all the non-ROPS tractors plus cost of the associated injuries) and $284 million (cost of injuries resulting from the No-ROPS option) over the same time period. Thus, the net cost per injury prevented was $260,820. When the cost of intervention ($1000 for purchasing, shipping, and installation of existing ROPS retrofit) was used in the analysis, the cost-effectiveness ratio was $927,000 per injury prevented over the 20-year period. Thus, installing CROPS instead of existing ROPS retrofits improved the cost-effectiveness ratio substantially, with a 72% reduction in the net cost per injury prevented.

Fire- and flame-related occupational fatalities in the United States, 1980-1994.

The National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities surveillance system recorded 1518 fire- and flame-related occupational fatalities among the civilian workforce in the United States between 1980 and 1994. The fatalities resulted from 1221 separate incidents, of which 122 involved more than one victim and accounted for 419 of 1518 deaths. Nearly 4 of 10 fatalities resulting from a multiple-victim fire were workers in the manufacturing industry. Similarly, the highest frequency of fatalities in single-victim events, over one fourth, were in manufacturing. For one fourth of the fatalities within each event category, the usual occupation of the deceased was a precision production, craft, and repair worker. Although this study sheds light on selected characteristics of these fatalities, additional research on the causal factors associated with single- and multiple-victim events is needed to present specific recommendations for prevention efforts.

Denominator effects on traumatic occupational fatality incidence rates.

Each year over 6,000 workers are killed while earning a living in the United States. From these deaths, how can researchers determine if employees in the manufacturing industry are at greater risk of a traumatic occupational fatality than those employed in agriculture or any other industry? Similarly, does the risk of traumatic occupational fatality differ among states? To answer such questions, two measurements are normally used: frequency of occurrence and incidence rate. These measures are used to identify worker groups at greatest risk of fatal injury, target research and prevention activities, and evaluate the impact of these activities. Developing the best methods to accurately identify worker groups at greatest risk of losing their life while at work is always important, but even more so in times of limited government resources. The accuracy of a traumatic occupational fatality incidence rate depends on how closely the denominator and numerator represent the same population. Selecting data from different employment programs for the denominator when calculating incidence rates using the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities surveillance system for the numerator has shown dramatically different results. This analysis points out that researchers must carefully: choose the data they employ; evaluate the meaning of calculated incidence rates; and document the data sources to ensure proper interpretation by others. Additional research and evaluation are necessary to improve data sources, analytical methods and tools to ensure effective resource allocations for the occupational safety and health field.