Bayesian risk analysis of municipal solid waste workers' occupational health and safety problems

Conference · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999

OSTI ID:20014780

An, H; Englehardt, J; Bean, J; Fleming, L; Dantis, M

A study of the risk of occupational injuries and diseases to municipal solid waste workers is reported in this paper. Using Florida Workers' Compensation data from 1993 to 1997, principal injuries among municipal solid waste workers were identified. The size of Worker's Compensation claims was found to have the lognormal distribution. The annual numbers of injuries and annual costs of Workers' Compensation claims were assessed by a predictive Bayesian adaptation of the basic compound Poisson model. The risk assessment indicated that Workers' Compensation costs for municipal solid waste workers in Florida average $10.2 million per year, constant 1998 dollars, and have a 5% probability of exceeding $38.4 million in any year. Fifty-two percent of this cost is attributed for injuries to drivers/helpers; Forty-four percent of the cost is attributed to strains/sprains. The total economic and non-economic costs for occupational injuries and diseases will be much higher than Workers' Compensation costs.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Miami, Coral Gables, FL (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: Florida Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
• OSTI ID: 20014780
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
FLORIDA
MUNICIPAL WASTES
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
RISK ASSESSMENT
SOLID WASTES
WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS