Workers' compensation injury claims of aviation industry worker injuries in Alaska, 2014-2015.

Aviation operations in Alaska often occur in remote locations and during inclement weather. Limited infrastructure and staff in some locations often requires aviation workers to perform tasks outside of their specific job descriptions. Researchers identified workers' compensation claims as a valuable data source to characterise nonfatal injuries among Alaskan aviation workers. Keyword searches of injury claim narrative fields and industry codes were used to identify potentially aviation-related workers' compensation claims during 2014-2015. These claims were manually reviewed to verify whether aviation related and manually coded according to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics' Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System. There were 875 aviation-related injury claims accepted during 2014-2015. Ramp/baggage/cargo agents incurred the most injuries (35%), followed by mechanics/maintenance workers (15%). Among all workers, Overexertion and Bodily Reaction (40%) was most often cited as the injury event, followed by Contact with Objects and Equipment (28%), and Falls, Slips, Trips (22%). Sprains, strains, tears were the most frequent nature of injury (55%). Cargo/freight/luggage was the most frequent source of injury (24%). The 3 most frequently identified injury event types were responsible for over 90% of all injuries, which indicates that preventive interventions should be directed towards tasks rather than occupational groups.

Using Workers' Compensation Claims Data to Describe Nonfatal Injuries among Workers in Alaska.

BACKGROUND: To gain a better understanding of nonfatal injuries in Alaska, underutilized data sources such as workers' compensation claims must be analyzed. The purpose of the current study was to utilize workers' compensation claims data to estimate the risk of nonfatal, work-related injuries among occupations in Alaska, characterize injury patterns, and prioritize future research. METHODS: A dataset with information on all submitted claims during 2014-2015 was provided for analysis. Claims were manually reviewed and coded. For inclusion in this study, claims had to represent incidents that resulted in a nonfatal acute traumatic injury, occurred in Alaska during 2014-2015, and were approved for compensation. RESULTS: Construction workers had the highest number of injuries (2,220), but a rate lower than the overall rate (34 per 1,000 construction workers, compared to 40 per 1,000 workers overall). Fire fighters had the highest rate of injuries on the job, with 162 injuries per 1,000 workers, followed by law enforcement officers with 121 injuries per 1,000 workers. The most common types of injuries across all occupations were sprains/strains/tears, contusions, and lacerations. CONCLUSION: The successful use of Alaska workers' compensation data demonstrates that the information provided in the claims dataset is meaningful for epidemiologic research. The predominance of sprains, strains, and tears among all occupations in Alaska indicates that ergonomic interventions to prevent overexertion are needed. These findings will be used to promote and guide future injury prevention research and interventions.

Work-related nonfatal injuries in Alaska's aviation industry, 2000-2013.

Aviation is a critical component of life in Alaska, connecting communities off the road system across the state. Crash-related fatalities in the state are well understood and many intervention efforts have been aimed at reducing aircraft crashes and resulting fatalities; however, nonfatal injuries among workers who perform aviation-related duties have not been studied in Alaska. This study aimed to characterize hospitalized nonfatal injuries among these workers using data from the Alaska Trauma Registry. During 2000-2013, 28 crash-related and 89 non-crash injuries were identified, spanning various occupational groups. Falls were a major cause of injuries, accounting for over half of non-crash injuries. Based on the study findings, aviation stakeholders should review existing policies and procedures regarding aircraft restraint systems, fall protection, and other injury prevention strategies. To supplement these findings, further study describing injuries that did not result in hospitalization is recommended.