Citation

Buchanan S, Vossenas P, Krause N, Moriarty J, Frumin E, Shimek JA, Mirer F, Orris P, Punnett L. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2010; 53(2): 116-125.

Affiliation

Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/ajim.20724

PMID

19593788

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hotel employees have higher rates of occupational injury and sustain more severe injuries than most other service workers. METHOD: OSHA log incidents from 5 unionized hotel companies for a three-year period were analyzed to estimate injury rates by job, company, and demographic characteristics. Room cleaning work, known to be physically hazardous, was of particular concern. RESULTS: A total of 2,865 injuries were reported during 55,327 worker-years of observation. The overall injury rate was 5.2 injuries per 100 worker-years. The rate was highest for housekeepers (7.9), Hispanic housekeepers (10.6), and about double in 3 companies versus 2 others. Acute trauma rates were highest in kitchen workers (4.0/100) and housekeepers (3.9/100); housekeepers also had the highest rate of musculoskeletal disorders (3.2/100). Age, being female or Hispanic, job title, and company were all independently associated with injury risk. CONCLUSION: Gender- and ethnicity-based disparities in injury rates were only partially due to the type of job held and the company in which the work was performed.

Language: en