Occupational and environmental risk factors for falls among workers in the healthcare sector

• Published in: Ergonomics 2010-04, Vol.53 (4), p.525-536
• Main Authors: Drebit, Sharla, Shajari, Salomeh, Alamgir, Hasanat, Yu, Shicheng, Keen, Dave
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accidental Falls - statistics & numerical data; Accidents, Occupational - statistics & numerical data; Adult; Age Factors; Applied physiology; Biological and medical sciences; British Columbia - epidemiology; Canada; Ergonomics; Ergonomics. Work place. Occupational physiology; Falls; Female; Health Personnel - statistics & numerical data; healthcare worker; Hospital Departments - statistics & numerical data; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; Male; Medical personnel; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Occupational accidents; Occupational Exposure - statistics & numerical data; occupational health; occupational injuries; Poisson Distribution; Risk Factors; Seasons; Sex Factors; Sick Leave - statistics & numerical data; Space life sciences; Workplace - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 0014-0139; 1366-5847
• DOI: 10.1080/00140130903528178

Falls are a leading cause of occupational injury for workers in healthcare, yet the risk factors of falls in this sector are understudied. Falls resulting in workers' compensation for time-loss from work from 2004-2007 for healthcare workers in British Columbia (BC) were extracted from a standardised incident-reporting database. Productive hours were derived from payroll data for the denominator to produce injury rates; relative risks were derived through Poisson regression modelling. A total of 411 falls were accepted for time-loss compensation. Compared to registered nurses, facility support workers (risk ratio (95% CI) = 6.29 (4.56-8.69)) and community health workers (6.58 (3.76-11.50)) were at high risk for falls. Falls predominantly occurred outdoors, in patients' rooms and kitchens depending on occupation and sub-sector. Slippery surfaces due to icy conditions or liquid contaminants were a leading contributing factor. Falls were more frequent in the colder months (January-March). The risk of falls varies by nature of work, location and worker demographics. The findings of this research will be useful for developing evidence-based interventions. Statement of Relevance: Falls are a major cause of occupational injury for healthcare workers. This study examined risk factors including occupation type, workplace design, work setting, work organisation and environmental conditions in a large healthcare worker population in BC, Canada. The findings of this research should contribute towards developing evidence-based interventions.