Follow-Up Study of Muskuloskeletal Injuries Among Construction Workers (The following information has been abstracted from a paper submitted to the 2nd International Symposium on Ergonomics in Building and Construction, IEA, August 2000)

Of the injured workers who we attempted to contact at baseline, approximately 57% completed an interview. The remaining 43% either refused to participate (11%) or could not be reached (32%). Non-participation was influenced by injury characteristics as well as by the trade of the injured worker.

Detailed descriptions provided by workers were valuable for understanding injury mechanisms. The WMD injuries, though acute in nature, were often related to ergonomic risk factors such as lifting heavy materials or exerting force from awkward working positions.

The baseline interviews identified differences in injury history between the two groups. For example, workers with musculoskeletal injuries were more likely than comparison workers to have experienced a previous acute injury to the index body location (27% versus 21%). These differences were seen for most body locations, including the low back, knee, ankle/foot, and elbow/wrist/hand/fingers, but not for the neck/upper back/shoulder.

At the time of the baseline interview (median 7 weeks after injury), 64% of the workers with musculoskeletal injuries still had pain at the injured location. The degree and frequency of pain was significant: of 143 interviewed workers, 26% rated their discomfort as moderate, and 15% reported severe discomfort in the week prior to the interview. Thirty-eight percent were still experiencing pain almost daily or constantly. Seventeen percent said that their symptoms at the site of injury had not improved since their emergency room visit. Ongoing symptoms affected work as well. Workers with musculoskeletal injuries were more likely than the comparison group to miss work (63% versus 44%) and more likely to be assigned modified duty at work (62% versus 49%).

This longitudinal study also follows both groups of workers one year and two years after the injury. One hundred and fifty six one-year interviews are completed to date, with at least 30 additional completion's projected. From one-year interviews, we can assess long-term sequelae of musculoskeletal injuries, including symptoms, probability of re-injury, changes in jobs, and changes in work practices.