One in 10 severe injuries occurs in the workplace

Comments

    OTTAWA- A new report released today by the Canadian Institute for Health information (CIHI) shows that 677 people across Canada were admitted to hospital because of major trauma experienced in their

place of work, representing 10% of all major trauma injury hospitalizations in the 15 to 64 age group in 2002-2003. The number of workplace-related injury hospitalizations has remained relatively stable over the past three years; there were 652 incidents reported in 2000-2001, and 678 in 2001-2002. In    2002-2003, falls were the leading cause (43%) of serious injuries suffered in the workplace, followed by those caused by vehicular incidents (20%).

    "There is a face and a name for every number in this report, so it is important that we continue to move from awareness to action regarding workplace safety," says Paul Kells, whose 19-year-old son Sean died in a 1994

workplace explosion. Kells founded the Safe Communities Foundation, an organization that raises awareness and provides education about workplace injuries prevalent in specific communities.

    Many of those injured sustained multiple injuries. Most (77%) of the major injuries occurring in the workplace in 2002-2003 were orthopaedic in nature, including broken bones and fractures. More than half of those injured

(52%) suffered head injuries, and just below 40% suffered internal injuries.

Those with the most severe injuries, as measured by the Injury Severity Score (ISS), were aged 65 years or older, followed by those aged 15 to 24 years of age.

    "These injuries are of great concern, because they can result in a significant lifelong burden on patients, their families, and the health care system," says Margaret Keresteci, Manager of Clinical Registries at CIHI. For

those who survived their injury, hospital stays were often lengthy, with an average stay in hospital of 18 days, compared to seven days for all hospitalizations in Canada. Almost 300 (42%) individuals required mechanical

ventilation in an intensive care unit after their injury. Most patients needed ongoing care after they left hospital, with over half (54%) requiring support services or admission to other facilities, including rehabilitation and

chronic care facilities, and 46% being discharged home without formal support.

    Between 2000-2001 and 2002-2003, the number of people who died in hospital because of a major injury in the workplace rose 15%, from 58 to 67.

The majority of these deaths in the workplace were caused by unintentional falls (37%) and vehicular incidents (26%). Of those who died, 69% had suffered a head injury, while 55% had sustained orthopaedic injuries; 88% of the deaths

were related to blunt trauma injuries, with the remainder associated with penetrating injuries or burns.

    The number of severe injuries linked to the use of machinery in the workplace has dropped considerably, from 13% in 2000-2001 to 5% in 2002-2003. Of those injuries involving machinery in 2003, 30% involved the use of

agricultural equipment, and 30% were related to lifting equipment.

    Of all major workplace injuries requiring hospitalization, 13% involved workers 24 years of age or younger. Ten percent (10%) died from their injuries, with incidents involving machinery and electrocution being the

leading causes of death among young workers. Overall, the average age of individuals who suffered a major injury was 42 years.

    "It is important to create work-cultures where Canadian workers, including youth, are safe," says Dr. Cameron Mustard, President of the Institute for Work and Health. "To address workplace injury, emphasis must be

placed on injury prevention, targeted education, supervision, safe equipment, and overall workplace design."

 Provincial Variations

 Provincially, workplace injuries as a percentage of all trauma cases ranged from a low of 5% in Ontario to a high of 10% in Alberta. Most provinces saw an increase in the number of major injuries experienced at work between

2000 and 2003, with the exception of Ontario, which saw an 8% decrease during the same time period, and New Brunswick, which recorded a small decrease.

Length-of-stay in hospital varied considerably by province, with the shortest (12 days) in Nova Scotia and the highest (25 days) in New Brunswick.

 Overall Profile of All Major Trauma Injuries in Canada

 Today's report: National Trauma Registry 2004 Report-Major Injury in Canada, shows that there were 9,892 major injury cases in Canada overall in 2002-2003, an increase of 11% from 2000-2001. Of the patients, 72% were male while the average age of all cases was 43 years, with 41% of patients under 35 years of age. Major injury cases accounted for more than 162,082 hospital days in highly specialized lead trauma hospitals.

    In 2002-2003, motor vehicle collisions were the leading cause of injury for all age groups, with the exception of seniors, among whom unintentional falls accounted for the majority (62%). Homicide and injury purposely

inflicted by another person were among the top five leading causes of injury in all age groups, with the exception of those 65 years old or older. Blood alcohol levels were determined to be positive in 13% of all major trauma

injuries. Almost half (48%) of the major trauma injuries in Canada occurred on streets or highways.

    Of patients sustaining major trauma, just over one-third (34%) required mechanical ventilation, and 14% died in hospital as a result of their injuries. The most common cause of injury resulting in death was a motor

vehicle collision (42%), followed by unintentional falls (32%).

 National Trauma Registry

Managed by CIHI, the National Trauma Registry (NTR), Comprehensive Data Set (NTR CDS) provides data on hospitalizations and deaths resulting from major injury in participating lead trauma centres in Canada. The goal of the

NTR CDS is to help reduce injury admissions and deaths in the country by identifying, describing and quantifying the nature and scope of injury in Canada. The information is used by policy-makers, researchers, coroners,

trauma-care providers and injury-prevention specialists to develop and monitor injury prevention and treatment programs.

Canadian Institute for Health Information

  The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) is an independent, pan-Canadian, not-for-profit organization working to improve the health of Canadians and the health care system by providing quality health information.

CIHI's mandate, as established by Canada's health ministers, is to coordinate the development and maintenance of a common approach to health information for Canada. To this end, CIHI is responsible for providing accurate and timely

information that is needed to establish sound health policies, manage the

Canadian health system effectively and create public awareness of factors affecting good health.

 The report, as well as the following figures and tables, is available

from CIHI's Web site, at www.cihi.ca .