Citation

Waller JA, Payne SR, Skelly JM. J. Occup. Med. 1989; 31(8): 687-692.

Affiliation

Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington 05405.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2527293

Abstract

Study of 208 consecutively treated injuries to carpenters in northwestern Vermont revealed an annual injury rate of 13.3 to 17.2/100 workers. Most injuries had an abbreviated injury score of 1 and 7% resulted in hospitalization. One quarter of the injuries resulted from falls, and one fifth each from use of construction materials or power tools. In contrast to injuries from most other power tools, which usually involved trauma from direct contact with the equipment, the majority of injuries from circular or "skill" saws were eye injuries from flying sawdust. Overall, 43% of injured persons had no disability for work, but almost one fifth were disabled for a month or longer, especially persons with back injuries, who usually required emergency department treatment only but then had prolonged disability and expensive care. Mean and median hospital costs for all injuries were $347 and $70, and mean and median total costs of care were $376 and $90. Only one third of payment came from workers' compensation. Self-employed carpenters comprised 17% of injured persons but 36% of those with unpaid bills.