Work-related hand and lower-arm injuries in New Zealand, 1979 to 1988.
The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of work-related hand and lower-arm injuries in New Zealand. Nonfatal hand and lower-arm injuries were identified from New Zealand's national database of hospital admissions for the period 1979 to 1988. Thirty-seven per cent (9714) of all such injuries (26,228) were work-related. Piercing and cutting instruments (38.5 per cent) and machinery (37.2 per cent) were the two most common agents of work-related hand and lower-arm injury. Specific occupations in which the number of cases was high included meat workers (n = 1020, 3.3 per 1000 employees), carpenters (n = 548, 2.2 per 1000), machine operators (n = 450, 11.9 per 1000) and sawmill workers (n = 498, 7.7 per 1000). The injury rate for meat workers, carpenter-joiners, machine operators and sawmillers increased significantly over the 10-year study period.
Burridge
J D
JD
Clothing and Textiles Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Marshall
S W
SW
Laing
R M
RM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001134:Arm Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009790:Occupations; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods