Citation

Waehrer GM, Dong XS, Miller T, Men Y, Haile E. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 2007; 49(11): 1218-1227.

Affiliation

Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Calverton, MD; and the Center to Protect Workers Right, Silver Spring, MD.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JOM.0b013e318156ed24

PMID

17993926

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:: To present the costs of fatal and non-fatal days-away-from-work injuries in 50 construction occupations. Our results also provide indirect evidence on the cost exposure of alternative construction workers such as independent contractors, on-call or day labor, contract workers, and temporary workers. METHODS:: We combine data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on average annual incidence from 2000 to 2002 with updated per-case costs from an existing cost model for occupational injuries. The Current Population Survey provides data on the percentage of alternative construction workers. RESULTS:: Construction laborers and carpenters were the two costliest occupations, with 40% of the industry's injury costs. The 10 costliest construction occupations also have a high percentage of alternative workers. CONCLUSIONS:: The construction industry has both a high rate of alternative employment and high costs of work injury. Alternative workers, often lacking workers' compensation, are especially exposed to injury costs.

Language: en