Adverse work and environmental conditions predict occupational injuries - The Israeli Cardiovascular Occupational Risk Factors Determination in Israel (CORDIS) study

This study was designed to test whether the total objective adverse work an d environmental conditions, expressed as the ergonomic stress level (ESL), would predict occupational injuries over a 2-year period. The study populat ion consisted of 4,096 men from 21 factories in six industrial sectors who were studied as part of the Israeli Cardiovascular Occupational Risk Factor s Determination in Israel (CORDIS) Study, 1985-1987. The ESL (assigned four levels, 1-4) was based on an ergonomic assessment which covered 17 risk fa ctors pertaining to safety hazards, overcrowding, cognitive and physical de mands, and environmental stressors. The ESL was found to be a highly reliab le measure and stable over a period of 2-4 years. The incidence of injuries among workers in low ESL conditions (level 1) was 10.3%. It increased with higher ESL's: 11.7% in level 2 (relative risk (RR) = 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.86-1.50); 21.6% in level 3 (RR = 2.09, 95% CI 1.68-2.62); a nd 23.8% in level 4 (RR = 2.31, 95% CI 1.85-2.88). After adjustment for age , job experience, educational level, managerial status, and occupational st atus (white/blue collar), injury occurrence was significantly elevated for those at level 3 (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.46, 95% CI 1.12-1.91) and le vel 4 (adjusted OR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.39-2.37) but not for level 2 (adjusted OR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.65-1.18). The authors conclude that adverse work and en vironmental conditions, objectively assessed, can predict occurrence of occ upational injuries.