Traumatic occupational injuries in Hispanic and foreign born workers.

BACKGROUND: Hispanic and foreign-born workers suffer high rates of occupational fatality. Reasons for this are not well understood. Our aim was to gather information about the details related to severe, non-fatal occupational injuries in this vulnerable population.

METHODS: Eight years of data were obtained from an urban trauma center. In addition, medical consultations of individuals admitted for an occupational injury during an 8-month period are reported.

RESULTS: Hispanics were more highly represented than expected; their number of injuries steadily rose. Hispanics were more likely to be injured by machinery and hand tools. Workers reported hazardous working conditions, lack of workers compensation, short time in current employment, and not working in their usual job.

CONCLUSION: Trauma systems can provide a glimpse of risk factors for severe injuries in vulnerable workers. We recommend greater use of this data source, follow backs, long-term follow up of individuals, and improvement of surveillance of vulnerable working populations.