Non-fatal injuries in the West Virginia logging industry: using workers' compensation claims to assess risk from 1995 through 2001.

BACKGROUND

The logging industry has a high rate of both fatal and non-fatal injuries in comparison to other industries, and plays a vital role in WV's economy.

METHODS

Workers' compensation (WC) injury claims and employment data were summarized to examine patterns and rates of non-fatal logging injuries in WV from 1995 through 2001.

RESULTS

The average annual rate of injury claims was 16.0 per 100 workers per year with rates remaining relatively steady over the 7-year study period. The highest rates of injury were a result of being struck by an object, typically trees, snags, or logs.

CONCLUSIONS

WV loggers most often file injury claims as a result of being struck by trees and tree parts, snags, and logs. Assessment of risk is a critical component in helping regulators, researchers, and the logging industry develop viable prevention strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of logging-related injuries.