title: Completeness of provincial workers' compensation files to identify fatal occupational injuries.
abstract: The objective of the study was to ascertain the completeness of Workers' Compensation files to identify fatal occupational injuries. The number of fatalities was counted using two independent sources: the Quebec Workers' Compensation Board (QWCB), and the Coroner's Death Certificates (CDCs), for the years 1987 and 1988. The observed number of cases was 352. The QWCB identified 83.8% of those and CDCs 69.3%. The true number of deaths was estimated, using the capture-recapture methods, to be between 369 and 401. The compensation coverage of work-related fatalities was 66.1% in workers 55 years of age and older and 8.3% in farming occupations. Therefore, Workers' Compensation statistics are inadequate as the single source in these two categories and their exclusive use thus far has led to a failure in recognizing these issues as public health priorities.
authors.affiliation: Montreal Department of Public Health, Sacré-Coeur Hospital, Université de Montréal, Quebec.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossignol
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000401:mortality*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003644:Death Certificates; D004282:Documentation / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*