Racial And Ethnic Differences In The Frequency Of Workplace Injuries And Prevalence Of Work-Related Disability

Seabury, Seth A.; Terp, Sophie; Boden, Leslie I.

doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2016.1185

Cited by 83 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 48 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This finding aligns with work by Gronlund and others that found people of color were more likely to suffer from HRI in the Unites States and that Latino workers bear a disproportionate burden of workplace injuries 18,43 . If we want to effectively address the health disparities present in WA, we must be able to guarantee the protection of vulnerable communities in their place of work.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“…As of 2016, only 12.1% of WA's workforce identifies as Latino, indicating that HRI is likely disproportionally affecting Latino workers in WA.32 Workers' compensation data likely provides an underestimation as previous research has found that Hispanic workers were less likely to file workers' compensation claim for nonfatal injuries due to fear of reprisal from their employer 42. This finding aligns with work by Gronlund and others that found people of color were more likely to suffer from HRI in the Unites States and that Latino workers bear a disproportionate burden of workplace injuries 18,43. If we want to effectively address the health disparities present in WA, we must be able to guarantee the protection of vulnerable communities in their place of work.Incorporating reliable and complete data on race and ethnicity into occupational safety and health data systems, for example, workers compensation and the BLS SOII, will allow the detection of racial and ethnic disparities in occupational injuries and illness.…”

supporting

confidence: 82%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Heat related illness among workers in Washington State: A descriptive study using workers' compensation claims, 2006‐2017

Hesketh

Wuellner

Robinson

et al. 2020

American J Industrial Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Heat related illness (HRI) places a significant burden on the health and safety of working populations and its impacts will likely increase with climate change. The aim of this study was to characterize the demographic and occupational characteristics of Washington workers who suffered from HRI from 2006 to 2017 using workers' compensation claims data. Methods We used Washington workers' compensation data linked to weather station data to identify cases of work‐related HRI. We utilized Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System codes, International Classification of Diseases 9/10 codes, and medical review to identify accepted and rejected Washington State (WA) workers' compensation claims for HRI from 2006 to 2017. We estimated rates of HRI by industry and evaluated patterns by ambient temperature. Results We detected 918 confirmed Washington workers' compensation HRI claims from 2006 to 2017, 654 were accepted and 264 were rejected. Public Administration had the highest third quarter rate (131.3 per 100 000 full time employees [FTE]), followed by Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting (102.6 per 100 000 FTE). The median maximum daytime temperature was below the Washington heat rule threshold for 45% of the accepted HRI claims. Latinos were estimated to be overrepresented in HRI cases. Conclusion The WA heat rule threshold may not be adequately protecting workers and racial disparities are present in occupational HRI. Employers should take additional precautions to prevent HRI depending on the intensity of heat exposure. States without heat rules and with large industry sectors disproportionately affected by HRI should consider regulations to protect outdoor workers in the face of more frequent and extreme heat waves.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

supporting

confidence: 82%

Heat related illness among workers in Washington State: A descriptive study using workers' compensation claims, 2006‐2017

Hesketh

Wuellner

Robinson

et al. 2020

American J Industrial Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The use of new technologies in decision-making must also be protected from perpetuating or amplifying existing health disparities. Extensive literature documents the disproportionate health and environmental hazards faced by many communities of color, low-income communities, and Indigenous communities (Bullard 2000;Burwell-Naney et al 2013;Lee and Mohai 2012;American Lung Association 2001;Davis et al 2016;Seabury et al 2017;Zota and Shamasunder 2017). Disproportionate exposures to toxic chemicals coupled with exposures to social hazards (e.g., poverty) can result in an amplification of harm faced by these communities (Gee and Payne-Sturges 2004).…”

Section: Values In Decision-makingmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Toxicology Tools and the Emerging Paradigm Shift in Environmental Health Decision-Making

Ginsberg

Fedinick

Solomon

et al. 2019

Environ Health Perspect

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BACKGROUND: Numerous types of rapid toxicity or exposure assays and platforms are providing information relevant to human hazard and exposure identification. They offer the promise of aiding decision-making in a variety of contexts including the regulatory management of chemicals, evaluation of products and environmental media, and emergency response. There is a need to consider both the scientific validity of the new methods and the values applied to a given decision using this new information to ensure that the new methods are employed in ways that enhance public health and environmental protection. In 2018, a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) workshop examined both the toxicological and societal aspects of this challenge. OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to explore the challenges of adopting new data streams into regulatory decision-making and highlight the need to align new methods with the information and confidence needs of the decision contexts in which the data may be applied. METHODS: We go beyond the NASEM workshop to further explore the requirements of different decision contexts. We also call for the new methods to be applied in a manner consistent with the core values of public health and environmental protection. We use the case examples presented in the NASEM workshop to illustrate a range of decision contexts that have applied or could benefit from these new data streams. Organizers of the NASEM workshop came together to further evaluate the main themes from the workshop and develop a joint assessment of the critical needs for improved use of emerging toxicology tools in decision-making. We have drawn from our own experience and individual decision or research contexts as well as from the case studies and panel discussions from the workshop to inform our assessment. DISCUSSION: Many of the statutes that regulate chemicals in the environment place a high priority on the protection of public health and the environment. Moving away from the sole reliance on traditional approaches and information sources used in hazard, exposure, and risk assessment, toward the more expansive use of rapidly acquired chemical information via in vitro, in silico, and targeted testing strategies will require careful consideration of the information needed and values considerations associated with a particular decision. In this commentary, we explore the ability and feasibility of using emerging data streams, particularly those that allow for the rapid testing of a large number of chemicals across numerous biological targets, to shift the chemical testing paradigm to one in which potentially harmful chemicals are more rapidly identified, prioritized, and addressed. Such a paradigm shift could ultimately save financial and natural resources while ensuring and preserving the protection of public health. https://doi.

show abstract

“…A study in the US analysed data from two national surveys asking respondents whether they had any health limitations affecting their work, and whether the condition was caused by injury. 6 Results showed that, compared with US-born Hispanic workers, overseas-born Hispanic workers had higher work-related injury rates but lower work-related disability. The authors noted that disabled workers among the overseas-born Hispanic migrants may have returned home, due to their inability to work.…”

mentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Few studies have investigated the burden of post‐injury disability among migrant populations. A study in the US analysed data from two national surveys asking respondents whether they had any health limitations affecting their work, and whether the condition was caused by injury 6 . Results showed that, compared with US‐born Hispanic workers, overseas‐born Hispanic workers had higher work‐related injury rates but lower work‐related disability.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Migrants and disability following injury: findings from a prospective study in New Zealand

Baker

Samaranayaka

Wyeth

et al. 2019

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives: To compare the prevalence of disability between migrants and non‐migrants at three and 24 months post‐injury, and to identify key predictors of post‐injury disability among migrants. Methods: Disability among 2,850 injured participants, including 677 migrants to New Zealand, was measured prospectively using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule. Results: Migrants experienced higher risk of disability than non‐migrants at three months post‐injury (aRR=1.14, 95%CI 1.03–1.26). Both groups had similar disability prevalence, but higher than pre‐injury, at 24 months. For migrants, strong predictors of disability at three months post‐injury were: higher injury severity, pre‐injury obesity, and perceiving the injury as a threat of disability. Having multiple chronic conditions was a predictor of disability at both time points. Conclusions: Disability was persistent for migrants and non‐migrants to 24 months post‐injury. The disability risk at three months was higher for migrants. Certain predictors associated with disability were identified. Implications for public health: Despite having accessed healthcare services for their injury, migrants (compared with non‐migrants) had higher risks of disability at least in the first three months post‐injury. Interventions should be focused during this critical period on identified key predictors to promote faster recovery and reduce disability.

show abstract

Racial And Ethnic Differences In The Frequency Of Workplace Injuries And Prevalence Of Work-Related Disability

Cited by 83 publications

References 48 publications

Heat related illness among workers in Washington State: A descriptive study using workers' compensation claims, 2006‐2017

Heat related illness among workers in Washington State: A descriptive study using workers' compensation claims, 2006‐2017

New Toxicology Tools and the Emerging Paradigm Shift in Environmental Health Decision-Making

Migrants and disability following injury: findings from a prospective study in New Zealand

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About