Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
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Introduction
The.objectives.of.Healthy.People.2020.have.not.changed.but.will.experience.some.
modiications..The.2020.objectives.for.work-related.injuries.will.be.to
•. Reduce.death.from.work-related.injuries
•. Reduce.nonfatal.work-related.injuries
•. Reduce.work-related.assaults
•. Reduce.work-related.homicides
•. Reduce. occupational. needle-stick. injuries. among. hospital-based. health-
care.workers
Although. progress. was. made. regarding. occupation. injuries. and. trauma. deaths,.
new.data.and.goal.projections.are.not.available.for.2020.at.this.time..The.2010.goals.
for.injuries,.trauma.deaths,.and.needle-stick.injuries.achieved.approximately.50%.of.
the.goals.while.assaults.goals.did.not.make.progress..The.following.paragraphs.set.
out.the.baselines.for.2010.
Healthy.People.2010.Objectives.from.the.U.S..Department.of.Health.and.Human.
Services. (DHHS). has. made. the. facts. available. relevant. to. occupational. injuries. and.
illnesses.. Every. ive. seconds. a. worker. is. injured.. Every. ten. seconds. a. worker. is.
temporarily.or.permanently.disabled..Each.day,.an.average.of.137.persons.die.from.
work-related. diseases,. and. an. additional. 17. die. from. workplace. injuries. on. the. job..
Each.year,.about.70.youths.under.18.years.of.age.die.from.injuries.at.work.and.70,000.
require.treatment.in.a.hospital.emergency.room..In.1996,.an.estimated.11,000.workers.
were. disabled. each. day. due. to. work-related. injuries.. That. same. year,. the. National.
Safety.Council.estimated.that.on-the-job.injuries.cost.society.$121.billion,.including.
lost. wages,. lost. productivity,. administrative. expenses,. health. care,. and. other. costs.
(National.Safety.Council.Injury.Facts,.2010)..A study.published.in.July.1997.reports.that.
the.1992.combined.U.S..economic..burden.for.occupational.illnesses.and.injuries.was.
an.estimated.$171.billion.(U.S..Department.of.Commerce,.www.commerce.gov,.2001).
A.number.of.data.systems.and.estimates.exist.to.describe.the.nature.and.magni-
tude.of.occupational.injuries.and.illnesses,.all.of.which.have.advantages.as.well.as.
limitations..In.1996,.information.from.death.certiicates.and.other.administrative.
records.indicated.that.at.least.6,112.workers.died.from.work-related.injuries.(Bureau.
of. Labor. Statistics,. www.bls.gov,. 2000).. No. reporting. system. for. national. occu-
pational.chronic.disease.and.mortality.currently.exists.in.this.country..Therefore,.
scientists.and.policymakers.must.rely.on.estimates.to.understand.the.magnitude.of.
occupational.disease.generated.from.a.number.of.data.sources.and.published.epide-
miologic.(or.population-based).studies..Estimates.generated.from.these.sources.are.
generally.thought.to.underestimate.the.true.extent.of.occupational.disease,.but.the.
scientiic.community.recognizes.these.estimates.as.the.best.available.information..
Such. compilations. indicate. that. an. estimated. 50,000. to. 70,000. workers. die. each.
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