Lessons learned from Ohio workers' compensation claims to mitigate hazards in the landscaping services industry.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The landscaping services industry is one of the more dangerous in the United States, with higher rates of both fatal and nonfatal injuries than the all-industry average. This study uses claims from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (OHBWC) database to identify high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses in this industry in Ohio. The causes of those illnesses and injuries are highlighted to identify common factors.

Methods

The OHBWC database includes injured-worker industry identification, occupation, business size, demographics, diagnoses, and free-text descriptions of injury circumstances. We identified landscaping service industry claims from 2001 to 2017, and describe annual claim counts and rates.

Results

Over the 17-year period, 18,037 cla

SUBMITTER: Alexander BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9008742 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature