Abstract
Objective
To determine the risk factors associated with early repeat workers’ compensation claims in Victoria, Australia and to compare our findings with those of a study on the Alberta’s Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) in Canada.
Methods
We reviewed and described 178,630 claims from 1996–2009. Both persons with single and persons with multiple claims were included. Survival analysis was used to determine the impact of socio-demographic factors on the time between claims.
Results
A total of 37% of persons with an initial claim lodged a second claim. A reduced time to a second claim was observed in younger males in the manufacturing industry. Earlier second claims were more common in workers exposed to mental stress, sound and pressure, or chemical and other substances. These findings are similar to those of WCB Alberta.
Conclusion
There is a potential to reduce the socio-economic burden of workplace injury in both jurisdictions by enacting prevention programs targeted at workers with an increased risk of repeat claims.
Key words: Work-related, single claimants, repeat claims, risk factors, hazard ratios
Résumé
Objectif
Déterminer les facteurs de risque associés aux demandes d’indemnisation d’accidents du travail répétées à brève échéance dans l’État de Victoria (Australie) et comparer nos résultats avec ceux d’une étude sur la Commission des accidents du travail (CAT) de l’Alberta (Canada).
Méthode
Nous avons examiné et décrit 178 630 demandes présentées entre 1996 et 2009. Nous avons inclus les demandeurs uniques et les personnes ayant présenté plusieurs demandes. À l’aide d’une analyse de survie, nous avons déterminé l’effet des facteurs sociodémographiques sur le délai entre les demandes.
Résultats
Trente-sept p. cent des personnes ayant fait une demande d’indemnisation initiale en ont présenté une seconde. Un délai réduit entre la première et la seconde demande a été observé chez les jeunes hommes travaillant dans le secteur manufacturier. Une seconde demande à brève échéance était plus courante chez les travailleurs exposés au stress mental, au bruit et à la pression, ou aux produits chimiques et autres substances. Ces constatations sont semblables à celles de la CAT de l’Alberta.
Conclusion
Il serait possible de réduire le fardeau socioéconomique des accidents du travail dans l’État de Victoria et en Alberta en adoptant des programmes de prévention axés sur les travailleurs les plus susceptibles de présenter des demandes répétées.
Mots clés: travail, demandeurs uniques, demandes répétées, facteurs de risque, coefficients de danger
Footnotes
Acknowledgements: Funding for this project was provided by a research grant from WorkSafe Victoria.
Conflict of Interest: None to declare.
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