Factors contributing to construction injury at Denver International Airport.
BACKGROUND
Detailed information about factors contributing to construction injury is important to support design of safety programs directed at particular risks.


METHODS
We linked over 4,000 injury reports, including text describing injury events, with an administrative workers' compensation (WC) database, and, using Haddon's matrix as a framework, classified factors contributing to injury during construction of Denver International Airport (DIA).


RESULTS
Patterns of contributing factors varied according to injury mechanism and type of work: environmental factors contributed more than any other factor to slip/trip injuries, and building materials contributed to more than 40% of injuries to workers in carpentry, concrete construction, glass installation, and roofing. Rates at which factors contributed to injury also varied among types of work: environmental factors contributed at relatively high rates to injuries in glass installation, metal/steel installation and iron/steel erection >or= 2 stories, and victim factors contributed at high rates to conduit construction and metal/steel installation injuries. WC payment rates for different factors varied widely, ranging from $0.53/$100 payroll to $3.08/$100.


CONCLUSIONS
This approach allows systematic analysis of classes of injuries, contributing factors, types of work, and other variables to assist in setting prevention priorities.
Glazner
Judith
J
Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado 80262, USA. judith.glazner@uchsc.edu
Bondy
Jessica
J
Lezotte
Dennis C
DC
Lipscomb
Hester
H
Guarini
Kenneth
K
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003120:Colorado; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D006801:Humans; D014942:Workers' Compensation; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*