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.

Injury and illness among onshore workers in Alaska's seafood processing industry: Analysis of workers' compensation claims, 2014-2015.

BACKGROUND: Alaska's onshore seafood processing industry is economically vital and hazardous. METHODS: Accepted Alaska workers' compensation claims data from 2014 to 2015 were manually reviewed and coded with the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System and associated work activity. Workforce data were utilized to calculate rates. RESULTS: 2,889 claims of nonfatal injuries/illnesses were accepted for compensation. The average annual claim rate was 63 per 1000 workers. This was significantly higher than Alaska's all-industry rate of 44 claims per 1000 workers (RR = 1.42, 95%CI = 1.37-1.48). The most frequently occurring injuries/illnesses, were by nature, sprains/strains/tears (n = 993, 36%); by body part, upper limbs (1212, 43%); and by event, contact with objects/equipment (1020, 37%) and overexertion/bodily reaction (933, 34%). Incidents associated with seafood processing/canning/freezing (n = 818) frequently involved: repetitive motion; overexertion while handling pans, fish, and buckets; and contact with fish, pans, and machinery. CONCLUSIONS: Ergonomic and safety solutions should be implemented to prevent musculoskeletal injuries/illnesses in seafood processing.