NAVAL FLIGHT DECK INJURIES - A REVIEW OF NAVAL-SAFETY-CENTER DATA, 1977-91

A comprehensive review of injuries sustained by personnel working on n aval flight decks between January 1977 and December 1991 was conducted using database records maintained at the U.S. Naval Safety Center, No rfolk, VA. Data included ail fatalities, permanent total disabilities, permanent partial disabilities, and major injuries resulting in 5 or more lost work days. Injuries were coded using ICD-9-CM codes for anal ysis. A total of 918 flight deck personnel were reported injured durin g this 15-yr period, including 43 fatalities, 5 permanent total disabi lities, 42 permanent partial disabilities, and 828 major injuries. Of the non-fatalities, a plethora of fractures, traumatic amputations, ma jor lacerations, dislocations, contusions, concussions, burns, crushin g injuries, sprains, and strains were reported. Nearly all naval platf orms with a flight deck reported an injury. While an average of 51 inj uries per 100,000 aircraft recoveries were reported annually on aircra ft carriers from 1977-86, a marked reduction to a rate of roughly 30 i njuries was observed annually from 1987-90. What makes injuries sustai ned on the flight deck particularly disconcerting is that over 90% can be attributed to human causal factors.