Occupational Injury Research Projects
One of the most productive areas of IPRC research has been in occupational fatality studies. We have established a database on workplace fatalities that we believe is unparalleled in the U.S. It has enabled us to examine workplace injury in more depth and to create a series of analytic epidemiologic studies examining workplace violence. New studies will apply both qualitative and quantitative methods to understanding occupational environments resulting in nonfatal injury to commercial fishers. This work will employ geographic analysis methods to understand workplace injury more fully. Summaries are provided below by two sub-groupings of occupational injury:
OCCUPATIONAL INJURY: Youth Labor
Young Worker Safety in Construction. This study has multiple components including: a) an examination of workers’ compensation data from the North Carolina Home Builder's Association to investigate injury experiences of young workers in home building; b) an examination of construction site investigations conducted by the Department of Labor to learn about safety violations; c) two telephone surveys of teen construction workers who worked throughout North Carolina during the summers of 2000 and 2001; d) an in-depth study based on face-to-face interviews of 50 Latino young construction workers; and e) a mail survey of 60 employers of teen construction workers who worked in summer 2001. The goal is to advance understanding of work practices of young workers with a focus on determining needs and strategies for making regulatory changes. Analysis of data and publication of findings continues. In 2005, one manuscript was accepted for publication.
Key Personnel: Carol W. Runyan, MPH, PhD; Michael Schulman, PhD; J. Michael Bowling, PhD; Hester Lipscomb, PhD; Dana Loomis, PhD; Tom O'Connor, MPH; Janet Dal Santo, DrPH
Other Institutions Represented: NC State University; NC Occupational Safety and Health Project
Funding: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Contact:Carol W. Runyan, MPH, PhD, carol_runyan@unc.edu
Safety of Youth Employment: A National Study of Parents and Teens. This study examines how American youth, age 14 - 17, and their parents identify and respond to potential injury risks to adolescents in the labor force. The overall goal is to develop recommendations for policy, educational, and training interventions that will improve the safety of youth. To inform these recommendations, in-depth telephone interviews with over 900 U.S. youth and their parents have been conducted to learn: 1) the extent to which teenagers ages 14 - 17 work in situations predisposing them to injury risk; and 2) the knowledge and beliefs of parents and teens with regard to injury risk and workplace safety. Investigators are examining the knowledge and beliefs of parents and youths about child labor laws, general concerns about safety at work, and youth work practices, including the incentives and rewards for safe and unsafe behaviors on the job. Together with a multidisciplinary group of experts, investigators will consider survey findings and develop ideas for safety interventions for working teens. Data collection was completed in 2003. Analysis of the data and publication of findings continues.
Key Personnel: Carol W. Runyan, MPH, PhD; Michael Schulman, PhD; J. Michael Bowling, PhD; Chris Miara, MPH; Susan Gallagher, MPH ; Janet Dal Santo, DrPH
Other Institutions Represented: NC State University; Education Development Center
Funding: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
Contact:Carol W. Runyan, MPH, PhD, carol_runyan@unc.edu
Effect of Work Permits in Protecting Youth Workers. This project was designed to assess the effectiveness of the work permit system in restricting youths from hazardous occupational exposures. The pilot study was completed in March 2005. Data collection for the full study took place during September, October, and November 2005. Surveys were administered to high school students in selected classes in 32 schools in North Carolina and South Carolina to test their knowledge of labor laws and ask them about their experiences with labor such as hours worked or familiarity with work permits.
Key Personnel: Janet DalSanto, DrPH; Mike Bowling, PhD; Carol Runyan, MPH, PhD; Michael Schulman, PhD
Other Institutions Represented: NC State University; University of South Carolina
Funding: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Contact: Janet DalSanto, DrPH, dalsanto@email.unc.edu
Homicide During Workplace Robberies. This case-control study focuses on workplace and event-phase risk factors for workplace robbery-homicide. The objective of the study is to identify environmental, administrative, and behavioral factors that increase the risk of robbery-related homicide in North Carolina businesses. The study compares workplace robberies that result in homicide (cases) to robberies that do not result in homicide (controls). Cases were defined as all occupational homicides, as a result of robbery or attempted robbery, in the state of North Carolina as identified through the state medical examiner system. For every case, two controls were selected from investigations of workplace robberies not resulting in homicide conducted by the law enforcement agency that investigated the case. Controls were identified using the Uniform Crime Reporting System maintained by the NC State Bureau of Investigation and from individual law enforcement agencies. Data have been analyzed and disseminated through conference presentations and manuscript preparation. The study will contribute to knowledge about how best to reduce the incidence of occupational robbery-homicide. This project ended in 2005.
Key Personnel: Dana Loomis, PhD; Steve Marshall, PhD; Carol W. Runyan, MPH, PhD; John Butts, MD; Susanne Wolf, MSPH
Other Institutions Represented: NC Department of Health and Human Services
Funding: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
Contact: Dana Loomis, PhD, dana_loomis@unc.edu
Evaluation of Workplace Violence Initiatives in California Hospitals. The goals of this project are to evaluate the simultaneous effects of two California initiatives on hospital security programs and resulting violent events, and to identify their potential role in serving as a national model. In response to a growing awareness of violence against health care workers, the State of California implemented two initiatives to reduce violence in health care facilities. The first initiative was the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (Cal/OSHA) "Guidelines for Security and Safety of Health Care and Community Service Workers," released in 1993. The Cal/OSHA Guidelines provide a comprehensive list of intervention approaches to reduce workplace violence and offer a strategy to design and implement a comprehensive security program. The second state-based initiative was the passage of the California Hospital Safety and Security Act (Assembly Bill 508) in 1993. The Hospital Security Act required licensed acute care and psychiatric facilities to implement a comprehensive security program by July 1, 1995. Year of inception: 2002.
Key Personnel : Corinne Peek-Asa, MPH, PhD; Carri Casteel, MPH, PhD; Maryalice Nocera, MSN, RN; Robert Harrison, MD, MPH; Suzi Goldmacher, RN; Julie Curry; Marion Gillen, RN, MPH, PhD; Pamela Foreman, RN; Katie Martin; Jess F. Kraus, MPH, PhD; David Valiante, MS; Emily O'Hagan, RN, MPH; James Blando, PhD
Other Institutions Represented: The project is a subcontract through the University of Iowa. Other institutions represented include the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center; California Department of Health Services, Occupational Health Branch; University of California, San Francisco; UCLA Southern California Injury Prevention Research Center; State of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Division of Occupational and Environmental Health.
Funding: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (through subcontract with the University of Iowa)
Contact Person: Carri Casteel, MPH, PhD, ccasteel@email.unc.edu