Construction Workers' Reasons for Not Reporting Work-Related Injuries: An Exploratory Study

• Autorzy: Moore J. T. , Cigularov K. P. , Sampson J. M. , Rosecrance J. C. , Chen P. Y.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Although under-reporting of work-related injuries by workers is recognized as a significant problem in construction and other industries, little is known about the specific reasons for such occurrences. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this study to (a) identify reasons why construction workers may choose not to report work-related injuries, and (b) to investigate the frequency of the identified reasons. Twenty-seven percent of a sample of construction workers (N = 135) indicated that they had failed to report a work-related injury. The most frequent reasons given were related to perceptions of injuries as "small" and "part of the job" as well as fear of negative consequences, which may follow injury reporting. These findings are discussed in terms of practical implications. Strategies to overcome these reasons are suggested to decrease the under-reporting of injuries in the construction industry.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

occupational safety; injury under-reporting; construction

PL

budownictwo; bezpieczeństwo pracy; zgłoszenia wypadków

• Wydawca: Taylor & Francis
• Czasopismo: International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics
• Rocznik: 2013
• Tom: Vol. 19, No. 1
• Strony: 97--105
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 31 poz., tab.

Twórcy

autor

Moore J. T.

• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, CO, USA

autor

Cigularov K. P.

• Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA

autor

Sampson J. M.

• Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA

autor

Rosecrance J. C.

• Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA

autor

Chen P. Y.

• International Graduate School of Business, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

Bibliografia

• 1.Holmstrom E, Ulrich M, Engholm E. Musculoskeletal disorders in construction workers. In: Ringen K, Englund A, Welch L, Weeks JL Seegal JL, editors. Occupational medicine: state of the art reviews, construction safety and health. Philadelphia, PA, USA: Hanley & Belfus; 1995. p. 295–312.
• 2.Probst TM, Brubaker TL, Barsotti A. Organizational injury rate underreporting: the moderating effect of organizational safety climate. J Appl Psychol. 2008;93(5):1147–54.
• 3.Schneider SP. Ergonomics and construction: a review of potential hazards in new construction. AIHA J. 1994;55:635–49.
• 4.U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. National census of fatal occupational injuries in 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2013, from: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.nr0.htm.
• 5.U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2013, from: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/osh2.nr0.htm.
• 6.Waehrer GM, Dong XS, Miller T, Haile E, Men Y. Costs of occupational injuries in construction in the United States. Accid Anal Prev. 2007;39(6):1258–66.
• 7.Dong XS, Fujimoto A, Ringen K, Stafford E, Platner JW, Gittleman JL, Wang X. Injury underreporting among small establishments in the construction industry. Am J Ind Med. 2011;54(5):339–49.
• 8.Higgs P, Young VL, Seaton M, Edwards D, Feely C. Upper extremity impairment in workers performing repetitive tasks. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1992;90(4):614–20.
• 9.Probst TM, Estrada AX. Accident underreporting among employees: testing the moderating influence of psychological safety climate and supervisor enforcement of safety practices. Accid Anal Prev. 2010;42(5):1438–44.
• 10.Silverstein BA, Stetson DS, Keyserling WM, Fine LJ. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders: Comparison of data sources for surveillance. Am J Ind Med. 1997;31(5):600–8.
• 11.Weddle MG. Reporting occupational injuries: the first step. J Safety Res.1996;27(4):217–23.
• 12.Rosenman KD, Kalush A, Reilly MJ, Gardiner JC, Reeves M, Luo Z. How much work-related injury and illness is missed by the current national surveillance system? J Occup Environ Med. 2006;48(4):357–65.
• 13.The Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives. Hidden tragedy: underreporting of workplace injuries and illnesses. 2008. Retrieved January 16, 2013, from: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-110hhrg42881/pdf/CHRG-110hhrg42881.pdf.
• 14.Scherzer T, Rugulies R, Krause N. Workrelated pain and injury and barriers to workers’ compensation among Las Vegas hotel room cleaners. Am J Public Health. 2005;95(3):483–8. Retrieved January 16, 2013, from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1449206/.
• 15.Ringen K, Seegal J, Englund A. Safety and health in the construction industry. Annu Rev Public Health. 1995;16:165–88.
• 16.Rosecrance JC, Cook TM, Anton DC, Merlino LA. Carpal tunnel syndrome among apprentice construction workers. Am J Ind Med. 2002;42(2):107–16.
• 17.Schneider SP. Musculoskeletal injuries in construction: a review of the literature. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 2001;16(11):1056–64.
• 18.Pransky G, Snyder T, Dembe A, Himmelstein J. Under-reporting of work-related disorders in the workplace: a case study and review of the literature. Ergonomics. 1999;42(1):171–82.
• 19.Glazner JE, Borgerding J, Lowery JT, Bondy J, Mueller KL, Kreiss K. Construction injury rates may exceed national estimates: evidence from the construction of Denver International Airport. Am J Ind Med. 1998;34(2):105–12.
• 20.Leigh JP, Marcin JP, Miller TR. An estimate of the U.S. government’s undercount of nonfatal occupational injuries. J Occup Environ Med. 2004; 46(1):10–8.
• 21.Kreuger RA. Focus groups: a practical guide for applied research. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage; 1994.
• 22.Hofmann DA, Mark B. An investigation of the relationship between safety climate and medication errors as well as other nurse and patient outcomes. Pers Psychol. 2006;59(4):847–869. Retrieved January 16, 2013, 2012, from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2006.00056.x/full.
• 23.van Dyck C, Frese M, Baer M, Sonnentag S. Organizational error management culture and its impact on performance. J Appl Psychol. 2005;90(6):1228–40.
• 24.Cigularov KP, Chen PY, Rosecrance J. The effects of error management climate and safety communication on safety: a multilevel study. Accident Anal Prev. 2010;42(5):1498–506.
• 25.Hofmann DA, Morgeson FP. Safety-related behavior as a social exchange: the role of perceived organizational support and leader-member exchange. J Appl Psychol. 1999;84(2):286–96.
• 26.Cigularov KP, Chen PY Stallones L. Error communication in young farm workers: its relationship to safety climate and safety locus of control. Work Stress. 2009;23(4):297–312.
• 27.Geller ES. Behavior-based safety: confusing, controversy, and clarification. Occupational Health and Safety. 1999;68(1):40–9.
• 28.Simonet S, Wilde GJS. Risk: perception, acceptance, and homeostasis. Applied Psychology: An International Review. 1997;46(3):235–52.
• 29.Haines VY III, Merrheim G, Roy M. Understanding reactions to safety incentives. J Safety Res. 2001;32(1):17–30.
• 30.Blau PM. Exchange and power in social life. New York, NY, USA: Wiley; 1964.
• 31.DeJoy DM, Schaffer BS, Wilson MG, Vandenberg RJ, Butts MM. Creating safer workplaces: assessing the determinants and role of safety climate. J Safety Res. 2004;35(1):81–90.