|
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
Working conditions for teens can include many hazards, some of which are addressed by federal or state child labor policies or by OSHA regulations and some that are not. This study was designed to advance understanding of work practices of young workers with a focus on determining needs and strategies for making regulatory changes. Its multiple components included: 1) an examination of workers’ compensation data from the North Carolina Home Builder’s Association to investigate injury experiences of young workers in home building; 2) two telephone surveys of teen construction workers who worked throughout North Carolina during the summers of 2000 and 2001; 3) an in-depth study based on face-to-face interviews of 50 young Latino construction workers; and 4) a mail survey of 60 employers of teen construction workers who worked in summer 2001. Analysis of data and publication of findings continued in 2007.
Key Personnel:
Carol W. Runyan, MPH, PhD (PI); Michael Schulman, PhD; J. Michael Bowling, PhD; Hester Lipscomb, PhD; Dana Loomis, PhD; Tom O’Connor, MPH; Janet Dal Santo, DrPH; Kimberly Rauscher, ScD
Other Organizations or Institutions Represented:
NC State University, NC Occupational Safety and Health Project
Funding:
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
Contact:
Carol W. Runyan, MPH, PhD
carol_runyan@unc.edu
Safety of Youth Employment: A National Study of Parents and Teens
Many teens work in environments that pose significant risks to injury. This study examines how American youth ages 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 youth 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. Data collection was completed in 2003; however presentations and publications based on this work continued throughout 2007, including a presentation at the American Public Health Association annual meeting. Manuscript preparations continue to examine the extent of young workers’ toxic exposures and their use of personal protective equipment as well as the roles of parents in helping young people navigate health and safety at work.
Key Personnel:
Carol W. Runyan, MPH, PhD (PI); Michael Schulman, PhD; J. Michael Bowling, PhD; Janet Dal Santo, DrPH; Kimberly Rauscher, ScD.
Other Organizations or Institutions Represented:
North Carolina State University
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
Though federal child labor laws encourage employers to file working certificates or work permits for minors, they do not require them to do so. Work permits function as a means to restrict work hours and protect youths from working in illegal or hazardous occupations. 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, and data collection for the full study took place during September, October, and November of 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. Manuscripts are being prepared and a presentation was given at the 2007 American Public Health Association meeting.
Key Personnel:
Janet DalSanto, DrPH (PI); J. Michael Bowling, PhD; Carol W. Runyan, MPH, PhD; Michael Schulman, PhD
Other Organizations or Institutions Represented:
North Carolina State University
University of South Carolina
Funding:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Contact:
Carol W. Runyan, MPH, PhD
carol_runyan@unc.edu
Improving the Experiences of Young Workers in North America: An Interdisciplinary Educational Program
Young workers in North America have much in common in the way they experience the workplace for their benefit or detriment. The purpose of this project is to carry out a series of symposia designed to help a diverse group of scholars and practitioners update and synthesize their understanding of the benefits and risks of youth employment and to set an agenda for future scientific and programmatic directions throughout the U.S. and Canada. The program consists of a series of four sessions with distinct themes to be held in the U.S. and Canada over a three year period. These educational sessions are bringing together scholars and practitioners from a wide range of disciplines who are concerned with youth employment and its effects. The first symposium was held December, 2007 with the second planned for spring 2008.
Key Personnel:
Carol W. Runyan, MPH, PhD (PI); John H. Lewko, PhD; Kimberly J. Rauscher, ScD
Other Organizations or Institutions Represented:
Laurentian University ( Canada)
Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation ( Canada)
Funding:
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation
Contact:
Carol W. Runyan, MPH, PhD
carol_runyan@unc.edu
OCCUPATIONAL INJURY: All Other Ages
Violence Against Home Health and Hospice Workers
Violence is the fourth leading cause of workplace death in the U.S., and accounts for nearly 2 million nonfatal assaults each year. The goal of the project is to increase the implementation of comprehensive security programs into home health and hospice agencies to reduce violent events and their consequences for home care providers. The objectives of this project are to understand the interaction of organizational, worker and job characteristics and the external environment that contribute to and protect home health workers from violence, and to identify the most effective strategies to intervene. The study is in the data collection phase with analysis set for mid-2009.
Key Personnel:
Carri Casteel, MPH, PhD (PI); Maryalice Nocera, RN, MSN; Melissa Piper; Corinne Peek-Asa, PhD; Robert Harrison, MD; Suzi Goldmacher, RN; Robert Kosnik, MD
Other Organizations or Institutions Represented:
University of Iowa , California Department of Health Services, University of California San Francisco
Funding:
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
Contact:
Carri Casteel, MPH, PhD
ccasteel@email.unc.edu
Community-Based Workplace Violence Intervention for Businesses at High Risk for Robbery
The objectives of this project are to increase business participation in a program called the Workplace Violence Prevention Program (WVPP), and to increase compliance to WVPP recommendations through dissemination by law enforcement and community agencies. The specific aims are to: 1) identify effective methods of approaching businesses to increase participation and compliance; 2) describe barriers to participation and program compliance; 3) examine recruitment, business, and community level predictors for program participation; 4) examine recruitment, business, and community level predictors for high and low program compliance; 5) conduct process evaluation that systematically examines the experiences of the police and community partners in the delivery of the program. A secondary objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of the WVPP in reducing robbery and violent crime in businesses at high risk for robbery.
Key personnel:
Carri Casteel, MPH, PhD (PI); Daniel Hartley, EdD; Carol Runyan, MPH, PhD; Corinne Peek-Asa, MPH, PhD; Harlan Amandus, PhD; Detective Martin Ennis; Cmdr. Tom Chronsiter, CPP; James Grayson, CPP
Other Institutions Involved:
University of Iowa
Oxnard, California Police Department
Pacific Protection Services
Funding:
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
Contact:
Carri Casteel, MPH, PhD
ccasteel@email.unc.edu
JUMP-ACL (Epidemiology of Jump-Landing Movements and ACL Injury)
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are devastating knee injuries that typically occur in physically active populations. Women have a higher risk of ACL injury than men, but the actual mechanism of this injury is unknown. This study focuses on human movement as a risk factor for ACL injury and combines an epidemiologic prospective cohort design with a biomechanical motion analysis assessment. The subjects in the cohort are 4,800 female and male cadets and midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Enrollment will occur over 4 years. With three of the four enrollment years completed, a total of 4,365 of the projected 4,800 subjects (91%) have been enrolled. Of these, 39% are female. Data collection for ACL injuries is on-going, and, to date the study has registered 27 injuries. Preliminary analysis indicates that there are numerous important differences in landing mechanics between men and women, and between those with a history of ACL injury and those with no history of ACL injury. Several conference presentations have been made and several manuscripts are in preparation.
Key Personnel:
Stephen W. Marshall, PhD (PI); Darin Padua, PhD;
Anthony Beutler, MD; Sue Wolf, MS; Dean Taylor, MD;
William E. Garrett Jr., MD, PhD; Bing Yu, PhD; Kevin Guskiewicz, PhD, ATC; Barry Boden, MD; Scott Pyne, MD; John Tokish, MD; Thomas DeBerardino, MD
Other Organizations or Institutions Represented:
Uniformed Sciences Health Services University
United States Naval Academy
The Orthopedics Center
United States Air Force Academy
United States Military Academy at West Point
Funding:
National Institute for Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Skin Disorders
The American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine
Contact:
Stephen W. Marshall, PhD
steve_marshall@unc.edu
|
