The impact of compensation data maturity on OHS indicators. (January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lebeau, M.; Duguay, P.; Boucher, A.; Busque, M.-A.
• Is Part Of: Safety science. Volume 121(2020)
• Page Start: 542
• Page End: 549
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Subjects: Occupational injuries and diseases -- Workers' compensation -- Claim maturity -- Prevention; Industrial accidents -- Periodicals; Accident Prevention -- Periodicals; Safety -- Periodicals; Travail -- Accidents -- Périodiques; 363.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2019.09.025
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0925-7535

Abstract

Highlights: Claim maturity can highly influence OHS indicator estimates. Varying claim maturity does not affect target group identification. Injuries with rehabilitation incur the most additional costs after three years. Abstract: Compensation data from workers' compensation boards are very useful for orienting occupational health and safety (OHS) prevention and research. This study examines the impact of compensation data maturity on OHS indicators. Specifically, administrative data from the Québec workers' compensation board (CNESST) relating to 117, 990 occupational injuries that occurred in Québec in 2006 are used to produce various OHS indicators. The indicators are produced using data with three years' maturity and then recalculated for each additional six-month data period up to nine years' maturity. It is shown that extending the data period has a significant impact on some OHS indicators but little impact on rank within the target industries. Besides shedding new light on the impact of the maturity of the data used, the study identifies the types of injury whose consequences are the most underestimated when a short data maturity is used. The results presented in the study may be useful to many users of occupational injury compensation data.