• Teresa Scherzer, Reiner Rugulies, and Niklas Krause.
• Occupational Epidemiology Program, University of California, San Francisco, 1301 S 46th St, Bldg 163, Richmond, CA 94804, USA.
• Am J Public Health. 2005 Mar 1;95(3):483-8.

ObjectivesWe examined the prevalence of work-related pain and injury and explored barriers to and experiences of reporting among workers.MethodsWe surveyed 941 unionized hotel room cleaners about work-related pain, injury, disability, and reporting.ResultsDuring the past 12 months, 75% of workers in our study experienced work-related pain, and 31% reported it to management; 20% filed claims for workers' compensation as a result of work-related injury, and 35% of their claims were denied. Barriers to reporting injury included "It would be too much trouble" (43%), "I was afraid" (26%), and "I didn't know how" (18%). An estimated 69% of medical costs were shifted from employers to workers.ConclusionsThe reasons for underreporting and the extent of claim denial warrant further investigation. Implications for worker health and the precise quantification of shifting costs to workers also should be addressed.

43 keywords...

hide…