title: Work-related injuries to animal care workers, Washington 2007-2011.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For workers engaged in animal care, workplace hazards are common and may outnumber those experienced by human healthcare workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used accepted Washington State workers' compensation claims for the period from January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2011 to compare injury rates and types of injuries across animal care occupations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Work-related injuries frequently affect veterinary support staff and those working in pet stores, shelters, grooming facilities and kennels. Animal-related injuries were the most commonly reported injury type experienced by all groups, though the animal source of injury appears to differ by work setting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Workplace related injuries among animal care workers are common and most often caused by physical insults resulting from worker-animal interaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.affiliation: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Olympia, Washington.
authors.forename: Darrin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Olympia, Washington.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonauto
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rabinowitz
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017750:Animal Technicians; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018634:Veterinarians; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology; D014942:Workers' Compensation
keywords: and kennels; animal bite; animal-related injury; cats; dogs; grooming; pet stores; shelters; veterinary; veterinary medical/animal care workers