Fatal and non-fatal injuries from vessels under air pressure in construction.
Using a surveillance system that captures data on construction workers treated in an urban emergency department, we identified a series of injuries caused by vessels and tools under air pressure. We describe those six cases, as well as similar cases found in the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries; we also review data from the National Surveillance for Traumatic Occupational Fatalities database and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Among the injuries and deaths for which we had good case descriptions, the majority would have been prevented by adherence to existing Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards in the construction industry.
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
L S
LS
Welch
J
J
Weeks
K L
KL
Hunting
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005160:Facility Design and Construction / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011312:Pressure; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology