Authors
Bell-JL; Helmkamp-JC
Source
Am J Ind Med 2003 Nov; 44(5):502-509
Abstract
The logging industry has a high rate of both fatal and non-fatal injuries in comparison to other industries, and plays a vital role in West Virginia's economy. Workers' compensation (WC) injury claims and employment data were summarized to examine patterns and rates of non-fatal logging injuries in West Virginia from 1995 through 2001. The average annual rate of injury claims was 16.0 per 100 workers per year with rates remaining relatively steady over the 7-year study period. The highest rates of injury were a result of being struck by an object, typically trees, snags, or logs. West Virginia loggers most often file injury claims as a result of being struck by trees and tree parts, snags, and logs. Assessment of risk is a critical component in helping regulators, researchers, and the logging industry develop viable prevention strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of logging-related injuries.
Keywords
Occupational-accidents; Occupational-hazards; Logging-workers; Lumber-industry; Injuries; Forestry-workers; Accident-rates; Accident-statistics; Risk-analysis; Risk-factors; Injury-prevention; Region-3; Statistical-analysis
Contact
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research, MS-1181, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505-2888
Document Type
Journal Article
Email Address
jbell@cdc.gov
Priority Area
Research Tools and Approaches: Intervention Effectiveness Research
Source Name
American Journal of Industrial Medicine