Incident surveillance in New Jersey career and technical education programs, 1999 to 2008: attributes, severity, and reported use of personal protective equipment.
Through school-sponsored career and technical education programs in New Jersey, students work part-time during or after school in paid and unpaid structured learning experiences regulated by the New Jersey Department of Education. Schools submit information on "reportable incidents," injury or illness resulting in physician treatment. Incidents including reported use of personal protective equipment (PPE) were assessed; 1,600 incident reports (1999 to 2008) were received. Attributes such as type and severity, body parts affected, and PPE use for incidents occurring at school among students grades 9 to 12 or labeled as "adults" during school hours (n = 285) were analyzed. Older teens incurred more injuries. PPE use was consistently low across age and gender. Students most frequently experienced knife injuries involving fingers and hands. Results identified potential injury determinants and training and intervention topics such as PPE, and support development of an enhanced reporting form.
Shendell
Derek G
DG
NJ Safe Schools Program, UMDNJ-School of Public Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. shendedg@umdnj.edu
Jhaveri
Mehul
M
Nowakowski
Alexandra C H
AC
Wozniak
Maryann E
ME
Campbell
Jennifer K
JK
Marshall
Elizabeth G
EG
Kelly
Sarah W
SW
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D015984:Causality; D004651:Employment / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D009515:New Jersey / Q000453:epidemiology; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009785:Occupational Health Nursing; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012308:Risk Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014829:Vocational Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control