Extended work hours and risk of acute occupational injury: A case-crossover study of workers in manufacturing.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to determine whether injury risk among manufacturing workers was related to hours worked during the previous week.


METHODS
A case-crossover design was utilized to contrast hours worked prior to an injury shift with those worked prior to a non-injury shift for hourly workers. Paired t-tests were used to determine significance of the difference. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess dose-response.


RESULTS
Hours worked prior to injury significantly exceeded hours during the control week. Workers who worked more than 64 hr in the week before the shift had an 88% excess risk compared to those who worked 40 hr or fewer, P < 0.05.


CONCLUSIONS
The study provides evidence that injury risk is related to time worked during the previous week. Control of overtime in manufacturing may reduce risk of worker injury.
Vegso
S
S
Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Cantley
L
L
Slade
M
M
Taiwo
O
O
Sircar
K
K
Rabinowitz
P
P
Fiellin
M
M
Russi
M B
MB
Cullen
M R
MR
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance