Click here to make a Legal complaint

If you have been injured or hurt, Make a complaint Click Here

News: Info on Herniated Disc or Disk Physical Therapy Physical Disability, Medical Disability, Unemployment Benefits related to injury listed below.

If you have been injured or hurt, Make a complaint Click Here

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by selected worker characteristics, 2002

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by selected worker characteristics, 2002
_________________________________________________________
| | |
| Fatalities | Employment(1) |
| | (in thousands) | Most frequent events(2)
_______________________________________
Characteristics | | | (percent of total)
| | | | |
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent |
______________________________________________________
| | | | |
| | | | |
Total..................| 5,524 | 100 | 137,700 | 100 |Highway (25), falls (13)
| | | | |
Employee status | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Wage and salary | | | | |
workers.................| 4,472 | 81 | 127,818 | 93 |Highway (27), falls (13)
Self-employed(3).........| 1,052 | 19 | 9,882 | 7 |Homicides (15), highway (15)
| | | | |
Sex | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Men......................| 5,083 | 92 | 73,939| 54 |Highway (24), falls (13)
Women....................| 441 | 8 | 63,761| 46 |Homicides (31), highway (30)
| | | | |
Age(4) | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Under 16 years...........| 16 | - | - | - |Nonhighway (38)
16 to 17 years...........| 25 | - | 2,333| 2 |Highway (24)
18 to 19 years...........| 92 | 2 | 4,115| 3 |Highway (27)
20 to 24 years...........| 435 | 8 | 13,753| 10 |Highway (24), falls (11)
25 to 34 years...........| 1,020 | 18 | 30,711| 22 |Highway (24), homicides (14)
35 to 44 years...........| 1,402 | 25 | 35,486| 26 |Highway (26), homicides (12)
45 to 54 years...........| 1,250 | 23 | 31,319| 23 |Highway (24)
55 to 64 years...........| 783 | 14 | 15,676| 11 |Highway (27), falls (15)
65 years and over........| 494 | 9 | 4,306| 3 |Highway (23), falls (18)
| | | | |
Race or ethnic origin(5) | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
White....................| 3,917 | 71 | 99,256| 72 |Highway (26), falls (13)
Black or African American| 491 | 9 | 14,064| 10 |Highway (27), homicides (23)
Hispanic or Latino.......| 840 | 15 | 16,699| 12 |Highway (21), falls (16)
American Indian or | | | | |
Alaskan Native..........| 40 | 1 | - | - |Highway (30)
Asian....................| 131 | 2 | - | - |Homicides (40), highway (15)
Native Hawaiian or | | | | |
Pacific Islander........| 9 | - | - | - |Highway (56)
Other races or not | | | | |
reported................| 92 | 2 | - | - |Homicides (28), highway (23)
_________________________________________________

1 The employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of age and older
from the Current Populatin Survey, 2002, adjusted to include data for resident armed forces from
the Deparment of Defense.
2 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Structures. "Highway"
includes deaths to vehicle occupants resulting from traffic incidents that occur on the public
roadway, shoulder, or surrounding area. It excludes incidents occurring entirely off the
roadway, such as in parking lots and on farms. "Nonhighay" includes transport related deaths
of vehicle occupants that occur or originate entirely off the road. Incidents involving trains;
and deaths to pedestrians or other non passengers are excluded from both categories.
3 Includes paid and unpaid family workers, and may include owners of incorporated
businesses, or members of partnerships.
4 There were 7 fatalities for which age was not reported.
5 The categories "White" and "Black or African American" do not include "Hispanic or Latino" persons.
Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately.
Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate less than 0.5 percent or
data that are not available or that do not meet publication criteria.
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with
state, New York City, District of Columbia, and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries, 2002.

Reference
Last Modified Date: September 17, 2003

Lumbar radiculopathy; Cervical radiculopathy; Herniated intervertebral disk; Prolapsed intervertebral disk; Slipped disk; Ruptured disk
Definition Return to top

A condition in which part or all of the soft, gelatinous central portion of an intervertebral disk (the nucleus pulposus) is forced through a weakened part of the disk, resulting in back pain and leg pain caused by nerve root irritation.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top

The bones of the spinal column, or vertebrae, run down the back connecting the skull to the pelvis. These bones protect nerves as they exit the brain and travel down the back and then to the entire body.

The spinal column is divided into several segments -- the cervical spine (the neck), the thoracic spine (the part of the back behind the chest), the lumbar spine (lower back), and sacral spine (the part connected to the pelvis that does not move).

The spinal vertebrae are separated by cartilage disks filled with a gelatinous substance, that provide cushioning to the spinal column. These disks may herniate (move out of place) or rupture from trauma or strain, especially if degenerative changes have occurred in the disk.

Radiculopathy refers to any disease affecting the spinal nerve roots. A herniated disk is one cause (but not the only cause) of radiculopathy (sciatica).

Most herniation takes place in the lumbar area of the spine. Lumbar disk herniation occurs 15 times more often than cervical (neck) disk herniation, and it is one of the most common causes of lower back pain. The cervical disks are affected 8% of the time and the upper-to-mid-back (thoracic) disks only 1 to 2% of the time.

Nerve roots (large nerves that branch out from the spinal cord) may become compressed resulting in neurological symptoms, such as sensory or motor changes.

Disk herniation occurs more frequently in middle aged and older men, especially those involved in strenuous physical activity. Other risk factors include any congenital conditions that affect the size of the lumbar spinal canal.

Symptoms Return to top

SYMPTOMS OF HERNIATED LUMBAR DISK

severe low back pain
pain radiating to the buttocks, legs, and feet
pain made worse with coughing, straining, or laughing
tingling or numbness in legs or feet
muscle weakness or atrophy in later stages
muscle spasm
SYMPTOMS OF HERNIATED CERVICAL DISK

neck pain, especially in the back and sides
deep pain near or over the shoulder blades on the affected side
pain radiating to the shoulder, upper arm, forearm, and rarely the hand, fingers or chest
pain made worse with coughing, straining, or laughing
increased pain when bending the neck or turning head to the side
spasm of the neck muscles
arm muscle weakness

Reference

II. Workplace Hazards

OSHA has determined that employees in shipyards are exposed to a significant risk of injury from hazards that can be mitigated by the use of suitable personal protective equipment. OSHA has also concluded that compliance with the final standard will substantially reduce employee exposure to PPE-related hazards.

The shipyard industry has had one of the highest rates of injuries of any industry for many years. In 1992, the shipyard industry, SIC 3731, had an injury rate of 34.2 per 100 full-time employees ("Occupational Injuries and Illnesses: Counts, Rates, and Characteristics, 1992," published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in April, 1995). Approximately half of these injuries were severe enough to result in lost time from work. These numbers mean that a shipyard employee has about a 1 in 3 chance (34 percent) of experiencing an injury at work annually and a 1 in 10 chance every year of being injured seriously enough to require time away from work to recuperate.

In comparison, the average annual risk of injury for all employees in the United States was about 9 per 100 full-time employees in 1992; for the manufacturing sector of the economy, the annual injury rate was about 11 per 100 full-time employees.

ARAVA AVANDIA BAYCOL BEXTRA DISABILITY ENBREL EPHEDRA FEN-PHEN LARIAM LOTRONEX MERIDIA MEDICAL INSURANCE FRAUD MEDICAL LAWSUITS NORPLANT NURSNG HOME NEGLIGENCE OXYCONTIN PPA PERMAX PREMPRO PROPULSID REMICADE REZULIN RISPERDAL SERZONE SILICOSIS STADOL SULZER STROKE THIMEROSAL MERCURY AUTISM VIOXX WELDING FUMES WRONGFUL DEATH