BLS Studying Relationship Between OSHA Records and Worker Compensation Data

Submitted by steve.newell on November 24, 2009 - 12:46pm

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses employers' OSHA injury and illness data as the source for the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses and is, therefore, very concerned about data quality and ways to improve it.  In a November 17 meeting of the BLS Data Users Advisory Committee, BLS Assistant Commissioner for Occupational Safety and Health Statistics, John Ruser, noted that BLS is studying the relationship between the OSHA data and worker’s compensation data, and is considering (and testing) the use of multiple data sources, such as worker’s compensation data, data from emergency rooms, and hospital discharge data, to count certain types of occupational injury and illness. 

Ruser outlined four dimensions of the undercounting: long term work-related illnesses; the restricted scope of the BLS survey; the fact that some cases may not be reported to BLS, although they are reported to other sources; and the fact that some cases don’t get reported at all.  Ruser noted a June 2008 study by Les Boden and Al Ozonoff (Capture-recapture estimates of nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, Ann Epidemiol. 2008 Jun;18(6):500-6) that compared BLS micro data to state workers compensation claims data among workers at the same establishments. The study found that on average only about 60 percent of the workers compensation cases were reported on the OSHA records and to BLS. While some of the discrepancy may be due to techniques for matching, BLS will continue to study the relationship between their survey, the OSHA data, and workers compensation claims.
 
We will keep you posted on results.