Correlates of Occupational Injuries for Various Jobs in Railway Workers: A Case‐Control Study

Abstract

Correlates of Occupational Injuries for Various Jobs in Railway Workers: A Case‐Control Study: Nearkasen Chau, et al. National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm), Unit 420, Faculté de Medicine, France—Few studies have simultaneously addressed the role of occupational factors, individual characteristics and living conditions in occupational injuries, and to the best of our knowledge none on railway workers. This survey assessed the roles of these factors in various types of injuries and for various jobs in French railway workers. This case‐control study was conducted on 1,305 male workers with an occupational injury during a one‐year period and 1,305 male controls. A standardized questionnaire was administrated by an occupational physician. Data were analyzed by the logistic regression method. The significant factors found for all the injuries combined were: young age (<30 yr) (adjusted odds ratio 1.47, 95% CI 1.01–2.14), 5 yr or less in present job (1.43, 1.15–1.78), sleep disorders (1.30, 1.08–1.57), current smoker (1.27, 1.08–1.50), and no do‐it‐yourself or gardening activity (1.23, 1.02– 1.48). Young age, sleep disorders, and smoking were common for several types of injuries. The role of these factors differed between various job categories. Among injured workers sick leaves of eight days or over were more frequent in current smokers and overweight subjects. In conclusion, young age, lack of experience, job dissatisfaction, sleep disorders, smoking, and lack of physical activity increase the risk of occupational injuries. The risks induced were related with jobs. Preventive measures concerning work conditions and these factors could be conducted in railway workers generally, and especially in workers most at risk. The occupational physician could make workers more sensitive to these risks and help them to improve their living conditions during medical examinations.

Determinants of Occupational Fracture Proneness: A Case‐Control Study in Construction and Railway Workers

“…This study found that first years in present job were more strongly associated with fractures than all occupational injuries combined (adjusted OR 2.49 vs. 1.41, 95% CI 1.13-1.76 5) ) among the same railway workers. This factor also had a high but non-significant Could be multiple: 2.5% for construction workers and 9.7% for railway workers.…”

“…Sleep disorders alter health status and work ability, and may lead to fatigue and altered risk perception which increase injuries 14) . No do-it-yourself and no gardening activity was found to be more strongly associated with fractures than with all occupational injuries combined (crude OR 1.82 vs. 1.28, 1.07-1.54 5) ) among the railway workers. This could be explained by the fact that these physical activities improve work ability and balance control 15) and that maintenance operators were especially affected by fractures.…”

“…The role of sleep disorders in occupational injuries are known 4,5,8) . It appears that they represent a long-term risk.…”

“…The methods used were described in earlier studies conducted by us 4,5) . The cases were recruited by occupational physicians at the time of medical consultations before they returned to work following occupational injury, and the controls were recruited at the time of routine annual medical examinations.…”

“…Their annual incidence is about 10% for construction workers and 4% for railway workers. Fractures are common among workers 2,3) and the frequency of fractures is high in both construction and railway workers (22.6% and 9.5% respectively) 4,5) . Occupational injuries are mainly caused by work conditions 6,7) , and some individual characteristics also increase the risk 4,5,8,9) .…”