Heat Burns and Scalds
Heat burns and scalds constituted the major category of traumatic injury among the 35,960 burns reported in 2001. This category excludes chemical, electrical, and unspecified burns. Heat burn and scald cases are of moderate severity (Figure 2–114), with injured workers experiencing a median of 5 days away from work [BLS 2003a].
In 1999, more than 142,000 occupational burns of all types (thermal, chemical, and radiation) were treated in emergency departments for workers aged 15 and older. The rate of these burns was about 11 per 10,000 full-time workers. Workers under age 25 had an incidence rate 2- to 5-fold that of older age groups (Figure 2–109). The number of burns among male workers was twice the number among female workers (Figure 2–111).
BLS reported 25,078 heat burn and scald cases involving days away from work in 2001 (Figure 2–107). Annual rates declined 48.1% during 1992–2001, from 5.4 per 10,000 full-time workers in 1992 to 2.8 in 2001 (Figure 2–108). Most cases involved workers who were aged 25–54 (67.4%) (Figure 2–110), male (68.2%) (Figure 2–112), and white, non-Hispanic (66.6%) (Figure 2–113). Two occupational groups accounted for the majority (72.7%) of all heat burn and scald cases: service occupations (47.6%) and operators, fabricators, and laborers (25.1%) (Figure 2–115). Incidence rates exceeding the private-sector rate were reported for retail trade (5.8 per 10,000 full-time workers) and construction (4.0) (Figure 2–116). Three industry sectors (retail trade, construction, and manufacturing) had consistently higher rates than other industry sectors during 1992–2001 and experienced rate reductions of 50%, 37.5%, and 50%, respectively (Figure 2–117).
Magnitude and Trend
How did the number of heat burn and scald cases change during 1992–2001?
 | Figure 2-107 Number of heat burn and scald cases involving days away from work in private industry, 1992-2001. The annual number of heat burn and scald cases involving days away from work declined 38.9% during this 10-year period, from a high of 41,032 cases in 1992 to 25,078 cases in 2001. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].) |
How did the annual rate of heat burn and scald cases change during 1992–2001?
 | Figure 2-108 Annual rates of heat burn and scald cases involving days away from work in private industry, 1992-2001. The annual rate of heat burn and scald cases involving days away from work declined 48.1% during 1992-2001, from a high of 5.4 per 10,000 full-time workers in 1992 to 2.8 in 2001. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].) |
Age
How did burns treated in hospital emergency departments differ by age of worker in 1999?
 | Figure 2-109 Number and rate of nonfatal occupational burns treated in an emergency department, by age of worker, 1999. In 1999, more than 142,000 occupational burns of all types (thermal, chemical, and radiation) were treated in emergency departments for workers aged 15 and older. The rate of these burns was about 11 per 10,000 full-time workers. Workers under age 25 had an incidence rate that was 2 to 5 times the rates for older age groups. (Sources: NEISS [2003]; Jackson [2003].) |
How did heat burn and scald cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by age of worker in 2001?
 | Figure 2-110 Distribution of heat burn and scald cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by age, 2001. Age data are available for 24,244 of the 25,078 BLS-estimated heat burn and scald cases involving days away from work in 2001. Overall, three age groups (25-34, 35-44, and 45-54) accounted for 67.4% of heat burn and scald cases compared with 75.2% of all nonfatal injury and illness cases. More workers were under age 35 in heat burn and scald cases (54.3%) than in all nonfatal injury and illness cases (39.9%). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Sex
How did the numbers and rates of burn cases treated in hospital emergency departments differ by sex of worker in 1999?
 | Figure 2-111 Numbers and rates of nonfatal occupational burns treated in an emergency department, by sex of worker, 1999. The number of burns among male workers was twice the number among female workers in 1999. (Sources: NEISS [2003]; Jackson [2003].) |
How did heat burn and scald cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by sex of worker in 2001?
 | Figure 2-112 Distribution of heat burn and scald cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by sex, 2001. Male workers accounted for 68.2% of heat burn and scald cases in 2001 and 66.1% of all nonfatal injury and illness cases. Female workers accounted for a lower percentage of heat burn and scald cases (31.8%) than all nonfatal injury and illness cases (33.9%). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Race/Ethnicity
How did heat burn and scald cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by race/ethnicity in 2001?
 | Figure 2-113 Distribution of heat burn and scald cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by race/ethnicity, 2001. Race/ethnicity data are available for 18,617 of the 25,078 BLS-estimated heat burn and scald cases involving days away from work in 2001. White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 66.6% of heat burn and scald cases and 68.2% of all nonfatal injury and illness cases. Black, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 12.7% of heat burn and scald cases (slightly more than for all nonfatal injury and illness cases), and Hispanic workers accounted for 15.6% of heat burn and scald cases (slightly less than for all nonfatal injury and illness cases). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Severity
How did heat burn and scald cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases when measured by days away from work in 2001?
 | Figure 2-114 Distribution of heat burn and scald cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by days away from work, 2001. In 2001, more heat burn and scald cases (85.6%) involved short-term periods of disability (1-20 days) than did nonfatal injury and illness cases (71.6%). The median number of days away from work was 5 for heat burn and scald cases and 6 for all nonfatal injury and illness cases. (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Occupation
How did heat burn and scald cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by occupation in 2001?
 | Figure 2-115 Distribution of heat burn and scald cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by occupation, 2001. Service occupations accounted for nearly half (47.6%) of all heat burn and scald cases compared with 17.4% of all nonfatal injury and illness cases in 2001. Operators, fabricators, and laborers accounted for another 25.1% of heat, burn, and scald cases and for 39.5% of all nonfatal injury and illness cases. (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Industry
How did the rate of heat burn and scald cases differ by private industry sector in 2001?
 | Figure 2-116 Incidence rate of heat burn and scald cases in private industry by industry sector, 2001. Private industry reported an incidence rate of 2.8 per 10,000 full-time workers for heat burn and scald cases in 2001. Incidence rates exceeding the private-sector rate were reported for retail trade (5.8 per 10,000 full-time workers or 10,082 cases) and construction (4.0 per 10,000 full-time workers or 2,453 cases). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
How did the rates of heat burn and scald cases change by private industry sector during 1992–2001?
 | Figure 2-117 Annual rates of heat burn and scald cases involving days away from work by private industry sector, 1992-2001. The annual rate of heat burn and scald cases declined by nearly half (48.1%) during 1992-2001, and rate reductions occurred among each of the major industry sectors. Three sectors (retail trade, construction, and manufacturing) had higher rates than the other sectors and experienced rate reductions of 50%, 37.5%, and 50%, respectively, during this 10-year period. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].) |
