More precisely targeted information is needed before decisions regarding redesign of the BLS survey are made or before legislative or administrative changes in the WC are contemplated.

Statewide workers' compensation administrative databases can have substantial utility for epidemiologic study of work injuries with DAFW because of their size, using high sensitivity for case ascertainment as the evaluative criterion.

ObjectivesThe 2007 Minnesota Safe Patient Handling Act aims to protect healthcare workers from injuries caused by lifting and transferring patients. The effectiveness of the law in nursing homes is unknown. This policy evaluation measured changes in patient handling injuries before and after the law was enacted. Additionally, it assessed whether effects of the law were modified by facility levels of staffing and retention.MethodsWorkers’ compensation indemnity claims for years 2005–2016 were matched to annual direct care productive hours and facility characteristics (eg, profit status, hospital affiliation and region) for all Medicaid-certified nursing homes in Minnesota. Trends in patient handling claims were analysed using negative binomial regression with generalised estimating equations. The primary predictors were time period, staff hours per resident day and staff retention.ResultsThe patient handling indemnity claim rate declined by 25% in years 4–6 and 38% in years 7–9 following enactment of the law. Claims for all other injuries and illnesses declined by 20% in years 7–9 only. Associations between time period and patient handling claims did not vary by levels of staffing or retention. However, independent of time, facilities with annual retention ≥75% (vs <65%) had a 17% lower patient handling claim rate.ConclusionsResults suggest the law reduced patient handling claims in nursing homes. However, claim rates were elevated in facilities with low worker retention and those that were non-profit, not hospital-affiliated or in a non-metro area. Facilities with these characteristics may benefit from targeted state grants and consultation efforts.

Violence in the workplace is a serious public health problem. Yet, to date, little has been documented relevant to non-fatal events associated with physical assault. The aim of the present study was to identify the magnitude of work-related physical assault in Minnesota and to identify potential risk factors; both fatal and non-fatal cases were included. Minnesota workers' compensation records, relevant to assault, were used to identify 712 cases involving more than three days of lost work time for 1992; six homicide cases were included. Assault rates were calculated by industry and occupation. Women had an assault rate twice that of men (51 versus 26 per 100,000 workers). Workers in industries of social services (340), health services (202), and transportation (914) had the highest rates of assault per 100,000 full-time employees. The fact that in addition to overall workers' compensation costs of $1.6 million, the average lost time for closed compensated cases was 54 days (median, 14 days) and time to reach maximum medical improvement for 44% of the cases reporting was 156 days (median, 83 days), indicates a major problem. The findings suggest that specific groups of workers are at risk for physical assault on the job. Further research is essential to identify specific risk factors that will enable the development of appropriate prevention strategies.

BackgroundNursing assistants have one of the highest injury rates in the U.S., but few population‐based studies assess differential injury risk by occupation in nursing homes. This statewide study assessed differences in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and patient handling injuries among direct care workers in Minnesota nursing homes.MethodsIndemnity claims from the Minnesota workers' compensation database were matched to time at risk from the Minnesota Nursing Home Report Card to estimate 2005 to 2016 injury and illness claim rates for certified nursing assistants (CNAs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and registered nurses (RNs). Associations between occupation and claim characteristics were assessed using multivariable regression modeling.ResultsIndemnity claim rates were 3.68, 1.38, and 0.69 per 100 full‐time equivalent workers for CNAs, LPNs, and RNs, respectively. Patient handling injuries comprised 62% of claims. Compared to RNs, CNAs had higher odds of an indemnity claim resulting from an MSD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31‐2.14) or patient handling injury (OR = 1.89; 95% CI, 1.47‐2.45) as opposed to another type of injury or illness. CNAs had lower odds of receiving temporary and permanent partial disability benefits and higher odds of receiving a stipulation settlement.ConclusionsCNAs in Minnesota nursing homes are at heightened risk for lost time MSDs and patient handling injuries. Claims filed by CNAs are more frequently settled outside the regular workers' compensation benefit structure, an indication that the workers' compensation system is not providing adequate and timely benefits to these workers.