Carpal Tunnel NCCI
When I was looking over the recent report by NCCI, I noticed an incredible figure on the reduction of a certain type of injury. Their September 2010 report, “Workers Compensation Claim Frequency Continues to Decline in 2009” is a treasure trove of great statistics. The one that jumped off the page for me was that carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) claims had decreased by 46% overall.
I then researched the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to see if I could find a similar number on a national basis. According to the BLS, carpal tunnel claims decreased 47.6%. Having handled and consulted on hundreds of CTS claims in the past, I thought this was a great advance in safety programs to reduce the number by this high of a percentage.
In the NCCI report, there were a few possible reasons that CTS claims were reduced by almost one-half. The best reason that I read was the recent recession had resulted in a reduction in assembly line production work, where CTS injuries are common. I would even add that with the high number of manufacturing going overseas would also have an effect.
One more reason could possibly be that CTS claims were one of the most preventable injuries in workers compensation. Techniques such as the angle of the assembly line, frequent rest breaks, and job-duty shifting were employed over the last ten years.
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