Occupational injuries in the mining industry and their association with statewide cold ambient temperatures in the USA

Background Relatively few occupational epidemiological studies have been co nducted concerning the association between cold ambient temperatures and co ld exposure injuries, and fewer still of traumatic occupational injuries an d cold ambient temperatures. Methods The association of ambient temperature and wind data from the Natio nal Climatic Data Center with injury data from mines reported to the Mine S afety and Health Administration (MSHA) was evaluated over a 6 year period f rom 1985-1990; 72,716 injuries from the seven states with the most numerous injuries were included. Temperature and wind data from each state's metrop olitan weather stations were averaged for each day of the 6 year period. A weighted linear regression tested the relationship of ungrouped daily tempe rature and injury rate for all injury classes. For cold exposure injuries a nd fall injuries, relative incidence rates for grouped temperature data wer e fit With Poisson regression. Results As temperatures decreased, injury rates increased for both cold exp osure injuries and slip and fall injuries. The association of slip and fall injuries with temperature was inverse bur not strictly linear. The stronge st association appeared with temperatures 29 degrees F and below The injury rates for other accident categories increased with increasing ambient temp eratures. Conclusion This study suggests that statewide average ambient temperature r eflects the expected association between the thermal environment and cold e xposure injuries for workers, but more importantly, documents an associatio n between ambient temperatures and occupational slip and fall injuries. Am. J. Ind. Med. 38:49-58, 2000. Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.(dagger).