Occupational Injuries in Connecticut’s Young Working

Population

Deborah A. PeaseOccupational Health Program

State of Connecticut Department of Public Health

(DPH)

Introduction In the United States…

An estimated 2.1 million adolescents 16-17 years of age are employed

NIOSH estimates that 200,000 teens aged 14-17 are injured on the job every year

60-70 teens die from work-related injuries, hundreds require hospitalization and thousands require emergency room visits

Background Workers’ Compensation Commission

(WCC) data for young workers in Connecticut has not been analyzed in over ten years

Lack of data makes it difficult to identify high-risk and/or specific areas of concern

Limited # of data sources available Injury prevention initiatives

CT Young Worker Safety Team

Workers’ Compensation Data

Employer’s First Report of Occupational Injury and Illness

How did we get this information? History of using this data Clinic’s Bill Key personnel

Overview

Injury Claims were obtained from WCC 1997-2001 14-17 years of age 1,418 reports used for analysis

Demographic, cross tabs and temporal analyses for injury, industry, and occupation

Limitations

Data may be incomplete for 2001 Specific denominator data for this

age group could not be obtained WCC data does not capture all

occupational injuries Information under reported by

employers Not mandated/Fear of higher insurance

costs

Number of Reported Injuries among Young Workers by Gender and Year,

Connecticut, 1997-2001

050

100150200250300350400450

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Year of Injury

Num

ber

of in

jure

d w

orke

rs Females

Males

(Gender was unknown for 17 records)

266

296

416

297

143

Number of Reported Injuries among Young Workers by Age and Year,

Connecticut, 1997-2001

Age in Years 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Total

14 4 5 4 4 5 22

15 5 12 18 12 7 54

16 80 91 145 102 76 494

17 177 188 249 179 55 848

n=1418

Percentage of Reported Injuries among Young Workers by Age and Year of

Injury, Connecticut, 1997-2001

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Age <17 years

Age 17 years

Year of Injury

Pe

rce

nta

ge

89

177

108

188

167

249

118

179 88

55

Unk/NOC16%

Burn9%

Laceration22%

Contusion17%

Strain or Sprain22%

Fracture3%

Other11%

Distribution of Reported Injury Types among Young Workers, Connecticut,

1997-2001n=1418

Number of Reported Injuries among Young Workers by Selected Injury Type and Age, Connecticut, 1997-

2001

Type of Injury14

years15

years16

years17

years Total

Lacerations 3 14 111 187 315

Strains and Sprains

6 14 96 191 307

Contusions 4 9 75 153 241

Burns 0 4 49 77 130

Fractures 1 2 17 22 42

Unknown 4 7 86 124 221

Other 5 3 60 94 162

Number of Reported Injuries among Young Workers by Selected Injury

Type and Gender, Connecticut, 1997-2001

Type of Injury Total % Males

Lacerations 312 72.4

Strains and Sprains 304 58.6

Contusions 237 47.7

Burns 128 51.6

Fractures 41 58.5

Unknown 217 57.6

Other 162 62.3

Total 1401 59.5

(Gender was unknown for 17 records).

Unknown1%

Other37%

General Government

6%

Health Services7%

Food Stores12%

Eating and Drinking

Places24%

General Merch. Stores13%

Distribution of Reported Injuries to Young Workers by Selected Industry Types,

Connecticut, 1997-2001n=1418

Distribution of Reported Injuries in Eating and Drinking Places among Young Workers, Connecticut, 1997-2001

Other8%

Fracture1%

Strain or Sprain19%

Contusion13%

Laceration27%

Burn18%

Unk/NOC14%

Eating and Drinking

Places24%

n=339

Distribution of Reported Injuries in General Merchandise Stores among Young

Workers, Connecticut, 1997-2001

Unk/NOC10%

Burn0%

Laceration23%

Contusion20%

Strain or Sprain29%

Fracture3%

Other15%

General Merch. Stores13%

n=182

Distribution of Reported Injuries in Food Stores among Young Workers,

Connecticut, 1997-2001

Unk/NOC11%

Burn10%

Laceration30%

Contusion13%

Strain or Sprain26%

Fracture1%

Other9%

Food Stores12%

n=163

Distribution of Reported Injuries in Health Services among Young Workers,

Connecticut, 1997-2001

Unk/NOC16%

Burn11%

Laceration12%

Contusion18%

Strain or Sprain32%

Fracture1%

Other10%

Health Services7%

n=95

Distribution of Reported Injuries in General Government among Young Workers, Connecticut, 1997-2001

Unk/NOC25%

Burn5% Laceration

13%

Contusion17%

Strain or Sprain18%Fracture

5%

Other17%

General Government

6%

n=84

Number of Reported Injuries among Young Workers by Selected Industry Type

and Gender, Connecticut, 1997-2001

Type of Industry Total % Males

Eating and drinking places 339 56.3

General merchandise stores

182 59.9

Food stores 163 54.6

Health Services 95 30.5

General government 84 72.6

Unknown 12 66.7

Other 526 65.8

Total 1401 59.5

(Gender was unknown for 17 records).

Distribution of Reported Injuries among Young Workers by Selected Occupation Types,

Connecticut, 1997-2001

n=1418Other23%

Unknown43%

Convalescent or nursing home

employee2% Laborer

15%

Restaurant worker

11%Retail store

6%

Number of Reported Injuries among Young Workers by Selected Occupation

Type and Gender, Connecticut, 1997-2001

Occupation Total % Males

Laborer 204 65.7

Restaurant workers 153 55.6

Retail store 84 56.0

Convalescent or nursing home employee

30 23.3

Unknown 604 56.5

Other 326 67.2

Total 1401 59.5

(Gender was unknown for 17 records).

Conclusions

Young workers are suffering from occupational injuries in Connecticut, despite the existence of regulations designed to protect them.

Comprehensive data sources for young worker injuries in the state are lacking.

Conclusions

Need for intervention strategies based upon surveillance data Males ↑ Lacerations ↑ Sprains & strains ↑ Eating and drinking places

(i.e. restaurants) 2x ↑

Next Steps

Denominator data needed for rate calculations with WCC

Verify 2001 data with WCC Add 2002 data Capture-recapture analysis with

data from Department of Labor and/or Emergency Department data

Next Steps Encourage and implement educational

programs to train young workers about potential occupational hazards

Possible solutions: modifying the environment, use of appropriate protective equipment, age-appropriate training and supervision, and increased enforcement of the child labor laws

should be considered