Hospitalized nonfatal injuries in the Alaskan construction industry

Background Construction industry workers are exposed to many hazards leading to fatal and nonfatal injuries. Information for nonfatal work‐related injury surveillance may be vague and come from a variety of sources. Methods The Alaska Trauma Registry (ATR) is used as an injury surveillance tool to focus on hospitalized nonfatal injuries in the Alaskan construction industry. Results During 1991–1999, 717 workers in the Alaskan construction industry were hospitalized due to occupational injuries, with an average annual injury rate of 0.39 injuries/100 workers. Leading causes of injury included falls (48%) and machinery (15%). Thirty‐four percent of the falls were from a building or structure, followed by falls from a ladder (24%). A fractured bone was the most common type of injury (57%). Conclusions Information on hospitalized patients from the ATR focuses on the more severe and debilitating injuries, and provides valuable information for prioritizing injury prevention efforts in Alaska. Am. J. Ind. Med. 47:428–433, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.