Preplacement assessments. Impact on injury outcomes.
Evaluation of the impact of preplacement assessments is important given the resources companies and occupational health nurses allocate to screening and the ambiguity of the literature about the effectiveness of such assessments. This study examined the effects of preplacement assessments on employee injuries. All individuals screened by an occupational health clinic in the upper Midwest and given work restrictions during a 3 year period were identified as cases (n = 67). Cases were matched with controls without work restrictions (n = 264) on the basis of employer, gender, and job. Age was controlled for statistically. Chi-square analysis, used to test differences in percent distribution of injuries between cases and controls, found no statistically significant differences in musculoskeletal injuries between the groups. Work restrictions recommended as a result of preplacement assessments appear to protect vulnerable workers.
Nachreiner
N
N
Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
McGovern
P
P
Kochevar
L K
LK
Lohman
W H
WH
Cato
C
C
Ayers
E
E
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D009785:Occupational Health Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*