Abstract
Administrative and clinical data from a network of occupational medicine clinics were combined to evaluate the utility of these data in the surveillance of non-fatal occupational injuries. Incident cases of work-related hand injuries were characterized to evaluate that process. In 1988, hand and finger injuries were found to be among the most common (n=4,120) of all occupational injuries recorded in the system. Hand/finger injuries accounted for 30.0 percent of all episodes of work-related injuries treated, with the incidence of these decreasing with increasing company size. Hand injuries were found to be potentially severe with nearly 20 percent resulting from a crushing motion and nearly 10 percent being fractures or amputations. Hands being caught in machines or struck by metal items or hand tools accounted for 36.2 percent of the injuries. A surveillance system based upon ambulatory care data can be a feasible method for identifying priority areas for the prevention of work-related injuries.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
US Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics:Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 1989. Summary 91-1. Washington, DC: Govt Printing Office, 1991.
CDC, leading work-related diseases and injuries—United States:MMWR 33:213–215, 1984.
US Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics:Occupational Injuries and Illnesses in the United States by Industry, 1983. Washington DC: US Govt Printing Office, 1985.
Robinson JC, The rising long-term trend in occupational injury rates.Am J Public Health 78:276–281, 1988.
National Academy of Sciences:Counting Illness and Injury in the Workplace. Washington DC: National Academy Press, 1987.
Committee on Trauma Research:Injury in America. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1985.
Sass R, Workplace health and safety: A report from Canada.Int J Health Serv 16:565–82, 1986.
Kraus, JF, Fatal and nonfatal injuries in occupational settings: A review.Annual Reviews of Public Health 6:403–418, 1985.
Welch L, The role of occupational health clinics in surveillance of occupational disease.American Journal of Public Health 79(S):58–60, 1989.
Baker EL, Melius JM, and Millar JD, Surveillance of occupational illness and injury in the United States: Current perspectives and future directions.J of Public Health Policy 9:198–221, 1988.
Graitcer PL, The development of state and local injury surveillance systems.Journal of Safety Research 18:191–198, 1987.
Froines JR, Dellenbaugh CA, and Wegman DH, Occupational health surveillance: A means to identify work-related risks.American Journal Public Health 76:1089–1096, 1986.
Oleske DM, Brewer R, Doan P, and Hahn J, An epidemiologic evaluation of the injury experience of a cohort of automotive parts workers.J Occup Accidents 10:239–253, 1989.
Brewer RD, Oleske DM, Hahn J, Doan P, and Leibold M, Work-related injuries and illnesses in an automotive parts manufacturing company—Chicago.Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Rev 38:413–416, 1989.
Brewer R, Oleske DM, Hahn, J and Leibold M, A model for occupational injury surveillance by occupational health centers.J Occup Med 32:698–702, 1990.
Taylor W, Biological effects of the hand-arm vibration syndrome: historical perspective and current research.J Acoust Soc Am. 83:415–22, 1982.
CDC, Musculoskeletal injuries.MMWR 32(4), April 15, 1983.
McDermott FT, Repetition strain injury: a review of current understanding.Medical Journal of Australia 144:196–200, 1986.
Anderson WJ, and Anderson WJ, Hydrofluoric acid burns of the hand: mechanism of injury and treatment.J Hand Surg [AM] 13:52–7, 1988.
Justis EJ, Moore SV, and LaVelle DG, Woodworking injuries: An epidemiologic survey of injuries sustained using woodworking machinery and hand tools.J Hand Surg [AM] 12:890–5, 1987.
Ong SG, Fung SC, Chow SP, and Kleevens JWL, A study of major factors associated with severe occupational hand injury in Hong Kong Island.J Soc Occup Med 32:82–88, 1982.
Hertz RP, and Emmett, EA, Risk factors for occupational hand injury.J Occup Med 28:36–41, 1986.
NIOSH, Injuries and amputations resulting from mechanical power presses.Current Intelligence Bulletin 49. DHHS(NIOSH) Pub. No.87–107, 1987.
Meagher SW, Tool design for prevention of hand and wrist injuries.J Hand Surg., 12[A]: 855–7, 1987.
Brown TD, Blair WF, Gabel RH, and Morecraft RJ, Effects of episodic air hammer usage on digital artery hemodynamics of foundry workers with vibration white finger disease.J Occup Med 30:853–62, 1988.
Silverstein B, Fine L, Stetson D, Hand-wrist disorders among investment casting plant workers.J Hand Surg [AM] 12:838–44, 1987.
Gorshe TS, and Wood MB, Mutilating corn-picking injuries of the hand.J Hand Surg. [AM] 13:423–7, 1988.
Waller JA, Payne SR, and Skelly JM, Injuries to carpenters.J Occup Med. 31:687–693, 1989.
US Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics:Work-related hand injuries and upper extremity amputations. Bull. 2160 Washington, D.C. US Govt. Printing Office, 1982.
Myles SM, and Roberts AHN, Hand injuries in the textile industry.J Hand Surg 10[B]: 293–296, 1985.
Ekenvall L, and Lindblad L, Effect of tobacco use on vibration white finger disease.J of Occup Med 31:13–16, 1989.
Arndt R, Work pace, stress, and cumulative trauma disorders.J Hand Surg 12[A]:866–9, 1987.
Absoud EM, and Harrop SN, Hand injuries at work.J Hand Surg 9[B]:211–215, 1984.
Olson D. and Gerberich S, Traumatic Amputations in the workplace.J Occup Med 28:480–485, 1986.
American National Standards Institute: Method of Recording Basic Facts Relating to the Occurrence of Work Injuries. New York, NY. The Institute, 1969.
Supplementary Data System: Microdata Files, Users Guide. Washington, DC: US Bureau of the Census, 1982.
U.S. Bureau of the Census:1980 Census of the Population: Alphabetical Index of Industries and Occupations. (PHS 80-R3). Washington, DC: U.S Govt. Printing Office, 1982.
U.S. Office of Management and Budget,Standard Industrial Classification System. Washington, DC: U.S. Govt. Printing Office, 1972.
Leigh JP, Firm size and occupational injury and illness incidence rates in manufacturing industries.J Com Health 14:44–52, 1989.
US Bureau of the Census: County Business Patterns, 1986, Illinois. Washington, DC: US Govt Printing Office, 1988.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Denise M. Oleske, PhD, is Assistnat Professor in the Department of Health Systems Management and the Department of Preventive Medicine, Rush University, Chicago, IL; Jerome J. Hahn, MD, is Medical Director, Rush Occupational Health Centers, Chicago, IL.
The research described herein was supported by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control #R49CCR502360 “Occupational Injury Surveillance by Health Centers.”
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Oleske, D.M., Hahn, J.J. Work-related injuries of the hand: Data from an occupational injury/illness surveillance system. J Community Health 17, 205–219 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01321653
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01321653