Comparison of Work-Related Amputations in Illinois to National Estimates

There are multiple studies showing that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)undercounts the estimate of amputations that occur in the workplace. This study uses the linkage of multiple databases to give a representation of the actual cases of workplace amputations in Illinois between the years of 2000 and 2007 and compares them to the government estimates by year. The study also identifies where the injuries occur on the body, the counties they occur in, time series data, and what industries have the highest number of amputations. The results from the comparison of linked datasets to the government estimates agree with previous studies showing undercounted amputations. Between the years 2000 and 2007 the Bureau of Labor Statistics undercounted cases of workplace amputations by as much as 55%. Undercounting was attributed to the changes in the government’s surveillance, the use of only private sector data, and depending on the employer’s ability to report the injuries. Both the government’s system and the linked dataset miss cases, but the study shows that there are other effective ways to identify amputation injuries in the workplace.