Work-related nonfatal injuries in Alaska’s aviation industry, 2000–2013

•117 nonfatal injuries that required hospitalization were identified.•Nearly a quarter of all injuries were crash-related, often leading to fractures.•Falls were identified as the major cause of non-crash injuries.•There are major differences in injury profiles between crash and non-crash injuries.•...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Safety science 2018-04, Vol.104, p.239-245
Main Authors: Case, Samantha L., Moller, Kyle M., Nix, Nancy A., Lucas, Devin L., Snyder, Elizabeth H., O'Connor, Mary B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerospace industry
Aircraft
Aircraft accidents & safety
Aircraft components
Aircraft industry
Aviation
Crash injuries
Crashes
Critical components
Falls
Fatalities
Injuries
Injury prevention
Mortality
Occupational accidents
Occupational health
Occupational safety
Trauma
Workers
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:•117 nonfatal injuries that required hospitalization were identified.•Nearly a quarter of all injuries were crash-related, often leading to fractures.•Falls were identified as the major cause of non-crash injuries.•There are major differences in injury profiles between crash and non-crash injuries.•Different occupations and tasks performed will require tailored interventions. Aviation is a critical component of life in Alaska, connecting communities off the road system across the state. Crash-related fatalities in the state are well understood and many intervention efforts have been aimed at reducing aircraft crashes and resulting fatalities; however, nonfatal injuries among workers who perform aviation-related duties have not been studied in Alaska. This study aimed to characterize hospitalized nonfatal injuries among these workers using data from the Alaska Trauma Registry. During 2000–2013, 28 crash-related and 89 non-crash injuries were identified, spanning various occupational groups. Falls were a major cause of injuries, accounting for over half of non-crash injuries. Based on the study findings, aviation stakeholders should review existing policies and procedures regarding aircraft restraint systems, fall protection, and other injury prevention strategies. To supplement these findings, further study describing injuries that did not result in hospitalization is recommended.
ISSN:0925-7535
1879-1042
DOI:10.1016/j.ssci.2018.01.015