An assessment of conditional risks for severe occupational traumatic injury during falls from elevations at work among North Carolina construction workers

Prognostic factors that distinguish the proportion of severe injuries due to falls from elevations in the construction industry of North Carolina have been examined. Workers' compensation claims for 1978 through 1983 for injuries due to falls from elevations were used as the data base. Descriptive data, which included year and month of injury, time of day, day of week and multi-county planning region, were tabulated, and rates were calculated for year and month of injury. All descriptive counts were similar to data found in the literature for occupational injuries, except day of week, for which a consistently high count for each day was observed.

Severity of injury for workers in commercial, residential, and special trades contracting construction who sustained injuries after falling from elevations (n = 2039) was distinguished by compensated days lost from work. Workers compensated for 31 or more days were classified as severe injuries, while those compensated for 0-7 days were classified as less severe. Ages 30-59 years (OR = 1.67, CI = 1.35-2.06), falling from elevations other than ladders and stairs (OR = 1.26, CI = 1.02-1.55), and falling from scaffolds (OR = 1.62, CI = 1.24-2.10), were positive prognostic or conditional risk factors. These associations were not confounded. Furthermore, workers employed as structural metal craftsmen (OR = 2.04, CI = 1.11-3.76), masons (OR = 1.13, CI = 0.55-2.32), and carpenters (OR = 1.28, CI = 0.90-1.83) were associated with more severe injury. The association between job title and the conditional risk for severe injury was modified by age for laborers and roofers/slaters, and the association was modified by years of service for painters and plumbers.

Workers' compensation data provided sufficient information to assess severity of injury conditional on falls having occurred. The data were not sufficient to measure disease frequency. It has been recommended that where descriptions of injury are more complete and precise, the injury severity score provided be used to evaluate severity of injury. Furthermore, safety managers in N.C. State agencies and employed by construction companies are encouraged to use more of the safety technology currently available for elevations, particularly scaffolds, at construction sites, given the positive association between falls from elevations and severe injury.