title: Predictors and economic burden of serious workplace falls in health care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the demographic and workplace risk factors of serious falls and associated economic burden in Canadian health care workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fall injury data during 2005-2008 from a workplace health and safety surveillance system were linked with workers' compensation claims and payroll records. The costs for treatment and wage loss and days lost for accepted time-loss claims were calculated. Demographic and work-related factors were identified to distinguish the risk for more serious falls from less serious falls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine hundred and thirty-eight fall injury claims were captured among 48 519 full-time equivalent workers. Workers >60 years, part time or employed in the long-term care sector sustained a higher proportion of serious falls (>70%). Over 75% of falls were serious for care aides, facility support service workers and community health workers. In the multivariate analysis, the risk of serious falls remained higher for workers in the long-term care sector [odds ratio (OR) 1.71; P < 0.05] compared with those in acute care and for care aides (OR 1.72; P < 0.05), facility support service workers (OR 2.58; P < 0.01) and community health workers (OR 3.61; P < 0.001) compared with registered nurses (RNs). The median number of days lost was higher for females, long-term care workers, licensed practical nurses and care aides. Females, long-term care workers, RNs, licensed practical nurses, care aides and maintenance workers had the most costly falls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reducing work-related serious fall injuries would be expected to bring about significant benefits in terms of reduced pain and suffering, improved workplace productivity, reduced absenteeism and reduced compensation costs.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Texas, TX, USA. abul.h.alamgir@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alamgir
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ngan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Drebit
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guiyun Li
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keen
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000191:economics