title: Cut-laceration injuries and related career groups in New Jersey career, vocational, and technical education courses and programs.
abstract: Investigations of young workers, including limited surveys in supervised school settings, suggested their elevated injury risk. This study identified factors contributing to cuts-lacerations among adolescents in New Jersey secondary school career, technical, and vocational education programs. Of 1,772 injuries reported between December 1, 1998, and September 1, 2010, 777 (44%) were cuts-lacerations; analyses focused on 224 reports (n = 182 post-exclusions) submitted after fall 2005 in three career groups-Food, Hospitality & Tourism (FH&T) (n = 71), Manufacturing & Construction (M&C) (n = 84), and Automotive & Transportation (A&T) (n = 27). Most students were "struck by" tools or hard surfaces (n = 93, 51%); 63 cuts were from knives in FH&T. In M&C, most cuts-lacerations were caused by hand-held tools (n = 18) and being "struck against/by" or "caught between hard surfaces" (n = 19). Males reported more cuts-lacerations (n = 145), most commonly among 11th graders (n = 54) and ages 16 to 17 years (n = 79). Fingers (n = 117) were most often injured, usually by cutting tools (n = 83). Training, supervision, and appropriate equipment, and further assessments of "struck by" and "pinch point" hazards, are needed.
authors.affiliation: New Jersey Safe Schools Program, Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. shendedg@umdnj.edu
authors.forename: Derek G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Shendell
authors.forename: Samina S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mizan
authors.forename: Elizabeth G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Sarah W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Jennifer H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Therkorn
authors.forename: Jennifer K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Ashley E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015984:Causality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D022125:Lacerations / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009515:New Jersey / Q000453:epidemiology; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014829:Vocational Education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult