Table 2 Prevalence, contributing factors, and reasons for reporting of work-related injuries or illnesses
From: Underreporting of workers’ injuries or illnesses and contributing factors: a systematic review
Author, Year | Type of reporting | Type of injury/illness | Prevalence of not reporting | Contributing factors to injury/illness reporting | Reasons for not reporting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weddle, 1996 [4] | Reporting to management | All injuries including needlesticks, cleaning chemical burns and eye splashes, back pain after heavy lifting, and any others for 12 months | 39% | ❿ Fear ❿ Cumbersome time and effort ❿ Perceptions of injuries as not severe or a part of the job | |
Haiduven, 1999 [14] | Reporting to management | All percutaneous/mucocutaneous injuries in the last 5 years | 47% | ❿ Cumbersome time and effort ❿ Perceptions of injuries as not severe or part of the job ❿ Distrust of reporting | |
Rosenman, 2000 [15] | WC filing | 1.Diagnosed repetitive trauma with neck, upper extremity, and low back work-related musculoskeletal disease during the 12-week 2. Resulting in missed more than 7 consecutive days of work during the 12-week | 1. 74% 2. 25% | Facilitators ❿ Sociodemographic factors : Lower annual income ❿ Job and employment : Increased length of employment ❿ Injury type and severity : Restriction on activity : Off from work 7 days or more ❿ Psychosocial work environment : Workers’ dissatisfaction with Coworkers ❿ Health care providers : A provider not belonging to the company | |
Biddle, 2003 [16] | WC filing | 1.Work-related pain in backs, wrists, hands, or shoulders (repetitive trauma) identified by physicians in the past 12 months 2. Resulting in lost work time 3. Resulting in missed more than 7 consecutive days of work | 1. 68% 2. 45% 3. 27% | Facilitators ❿ Sociodemographic factors : Older age ❿ Injury type and severity : Severe wrist condition ❿ Job and employment : Higher physical exertion required Barriers ❿ General health and functioning : Better role functioning : Better current health | |
Scherzer, 2005 [8] | Reporting to management, WC filing | Any pain or discomfort during the past 12 months that he/she feels might have been caused or made worse by one's work as a hotel room cleaner | Management: 67% WC: 74% | ❿ Fear ❿ Cumbersome time and effort ❿ Perceptions of injuries as not severe or part of the job ❿ Lack of knowledge | |
Fan, 2006 [17] | WC filing | Positive response to at least one of the following: • In the past 12 months, have you been injured while performing your job? • Has a doctor or other medical professional told you that you have a work-related illness? | 47% | Facilitators ❿ Sociodemographic factors : Being married ❿ Job and employment : Service occupation : Precision, craft, repair occupation : Operators, fabricators, laborers ❿ General health and functioning : Obesity | |
Siddharthan, 2006 [18] | Not specified | Work-related musculoskeletal pain in the last 12 months that require to reschedule work | 35% | Facilitators ❿ Sociodemographic factors : Age 50 years or older : Hispanic workers Barriers ❿ Injury type and severity : More than 3 injuries in the last 12 months ❿ Job and employment : Job tenure 5 years or more : Evening or Night shift : Work more than 80 h in 2 weeks ❿ Psychosocial work environment : Worker’s safety as a priority of management | ❿ Fear ❿ Cumbersome time and effort ❿ Perceptions of injuries as not severe or part of the job ❿ Lack of knowledge |
Gershon, 2007 [19] | Reporting to management | Exposure to blood and body fluids in the last 12 months | 49% | ❿ Fear ❿ Cumbersome time and effort ❿ Lack of knowledge ❿ Distrust of reporting | |
Makary, 2007 [20] | Reporting to management | Needlestick injuries in the past 5 years | 51% | Barriers ❿ Sociodemographic factors : Male workers ❿ Injury type and severity : Injury not involving a high-risk patient : Total number of needlesticks during training ❿ Job and employment : Occurrence in operating room ❿ Knowledge on reporting : No information from other person | |
Donnelly, 2013 [21] | Reporting to management | Sharp injuries in the past 12 months | 65% | ❿ Fear ❿ Cumbersome time and effort ❿ Perceptions of injuries as not severe or part of the job ❿ Lack of knowledge ❿ Distrust of reporting | |
Lipscomb, 2013 [6] | Reporting to management | Any work-related injury or illness (entire life) | 20% | Facilitators ❿ Psychosocial work environment : Safety incentive for not having an injury : Coaching for unsafe behaviors Barriers ❿ Psychosocial work environment : Discipline behaviors for the injured | |
Moore, 2013 [22] | Reporting to management | Any work-related injury or illness (entire life) | 27% | ❿ Fear ❿ Cumbersome time and effort ❿ Perceptions of injuries as not severe or part of the job ❿ Lack of knowledge ❿ Distrust of reporting | |
Qin, 2014 [23] | WC filing | Low back pain in the past 3 months at least once | 91% | Facilitators ❿ Injury type and severity : Severe pain ❿ Job and employment : Higher physical demand : Higher job strain : Higher social support Barriers ❿ Sociodemographic factors : Higher education level | |
Boden, 2015 [24] | Reporting to management | Sharp injuries during the past 12 months | 21% | Facilitators ❿ Sociodemographic factors : Female workers ❿ Psychosocial work environment : Safety practice scale | |
Pompeii, 2015 [25] | Reporting to management | Type II violence (patient/visitor-on-worker) in the past 12 months | 51% | Facilitators ❿ Injury type and severity : involving in serious injury such as Physical assault or threat ❿ Job and employment : Nurse : Nurses’ aid : Security guard | ❿ Fear ❿ Cumbersome time and effort ❿ Perceptions of injuries as not severe or part of the job ❿ Lack of knowledge ❿ Distrust of reporting |
Deipolyi, 2017 [26] | Reporting to management | Needlestick injuries in the past 5 years | 33% | ❿ Fear ❿ Cumbersome time and effort ❿ Perceptions of injuries as not severe or part of the job ❿ Lack of knowledge ❿ Distrust of reporting | |
Green, 2019 [27] | WC filing | Any work-related injury or illness in the past 6 months | 84% | Facilitators ❿ Psychosocial work environment : Safety training | ❿ Fear ❿ Cumbersome time and effort ❿ Perceptions of injuries as not severe or part of the job ❿ Lack of knowledge |
Yang, 2019 [28] | Reporting to management | Needlestick injuries in the past 6 months | 29% | Facilitators ❿ Sociodemographic factors : Male workers ❿ Job and employment : Had less than 8 h off and between shift 3 times or more : Worked more than 80 h 3 times or more in a week ❿ General health and functioning : Poor general health status | ❿ Fear ❿ Cumbersome time and effort ❿ Perceptions of injuries as not severe or part of the job |
Anderson, 2021 [29] | WC filing | Any work-related injury or illness in the past 12 months | 55% | ❿ Fear ❿ Lack of knowledge | |
Lee, 2021 [7] | Reporting to management | Chemical-related symptoms in respiratory, eye, skin, neurological, and gastrointestinal systems (e.g., cough, burning in nose or throat, itchy or burning eyes, rash, headache, and nausea) in the past 12 months | 74% | Facilitators ❿ Sociodemographic factors : College education Barriers ❿ Sociodemographic factors : Female workers : Asian workers |