Michael P Foley

• MA
• Economist at Washington Department of Labor & Industries

The long-term earnings losses borne by injured workers, beyond those covered by workers' compensation insurance, are rarely estimated. The post-claim earnings of a cohort of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) claimants are tracked over a period of 6 years and compared to the earnings of claimants with either upper extremity fractures or dermatitis. Quart...

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is among the most burdensome of all musculoskeletal disorders as measured by workers' compensation claims costs and lost earnings. But the burden of CTS extends beyond direct claim costs. Methods: A survey covering health, social, economic and work-related outcomes was administered to 1,255 injured worker...

Studies of regulatory effectiveness have shown mixed evidence of impact of inspections on injury rates. We examine changes in workers compensation claims rates and costs for Washington employers having either an inspection, with or without citation, or a voluntary consultation activity. We merge 10 years of enforcement and consultation activity wit...

This study focuses on the health and safety implications of the spread of the temporary work industry in Washington State. Several reasons exist for one to expect that when a worker’s expected tenure at any particular workplace is limited that there will be increased risk of injury or illness. Unfamiliarity with new work processes and surroundings,...

The growth of the contingent workforce presents many challenges in the occupational safety and health arena. State and federal laws impose obligations and rights on employees and employers, but contingent work raises issues regarding responsibilities to maintain a safe workplace and difficulties in collecting and reporting data on injuries and illn...

Workers performing cleaning duties experience higher injury rates, especially in the form of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), than other industries. It is essential to understand the inherent risks associated with the nature of this occupation. Based on the Balance Theory (Smith & Carayon-Sainfort, 1989), this review surveys the current literature...

Background Janitors are a low-wage, ethnically and linguistically diverse, hard-to-reach population of workers with a high burden of occupational injury and illness. Methods Data from an extensive multimodal (mail, phone, web) survey of janitors in Washington State were analyzed to characterize their working conditions and occupational health expe...

Objective: Assess the effect of chronic comorbidities on hours and earnings recovery following a carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) claim. Methods: The hours and earnings profiles of Washington State workers' compensation claimants with CTS and controls, upper extremity fractures (UEF) claimants, were collected by linking to unemployment insurance dat...

Introduction: Construction is high-hazard industry, and continually ranks among those with the highest workers' compensation (WC) claim rates in Washington State (WA). However, not all construction firms are at equal risk. We tested the ability to identify those construction firms most at risk for future claims using only administrative WC and une...

Background: Temporary workers face increased risk of injury as compared to permanent workers in similar occupations. This study explores the role played by several potential risk factors. Methods: Injured temporary and permanent workers, matched by industry, tenure and demographic characteristics, were interviewed to isolate the association of t...

Background: We aimed to determine the strength of evidence on the effectiveness of legislative and regulatory policy levers in creating incentives for organizations to improve occupational health and safety processes and outcomes. Methods: A systematic review was undertaken to assess the strength of evidence on the effectiveness of specific poli...

Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance of Temporary Help Supply Workers in Washington State Background: Previous research on the impact of temporary on the risk of worker injury has focused on discrepancies in health outcomes rather than on the causes of the differential. We use the workers’ compensation database in Washington State and matc...

Purpose Little is known about the effect of workers' residential location on their time loss claims due to work-related injuries. We examined 149,110 incident claims while adjusting for multiple risk factors in a large, population-based sample of Washington State workers' compensation State Fund claims during 2002-2008. Methods Claimants' residenti...

Studies of regulatory effectiveness have shown mixed evidence of impact of inspections on injury rates. In this paper we attempt to extend the analysis of OSH effectiveness in several ways: First, by examining not just inspections but also the impact of consultations within the same analytical framework, we hope to get a more comprehensive view of...

Purpose: Little is known about the independent effect of workers' residential location and work-commuting on their long-term disability due to work-related injuries. We examined 149,110 incident claims while adjusting for multiple risk factors in a large, population-based sample of Washington State workers' compensation State Fund claims during 20...

Workers with depression and frequent mental distress (FMD) have lost work productivity. Limited systematic comparisons exist for the prevalence of depression and FMD across occupational groups. Using a state-added question for occupation coupled to measures of depression and FMD on the Washington State (WA) 2006 and 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surv...

This study reports trends in the pattern of injuries related to workplace violence over the period 1997-2007. It tracks occupations and industries at elevated risk of workplace violence with a special focus on the persistently high claims rates among healthcare and social assistance workers. Industry and occupational incidence rates were calculated...

Objectives We examined the disparities in health-care coverage between low- and high-income workers in Washington State (WA) to provide support for possible policy decisions for uninsured workers. Methods We examined data from the WA Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2003–2007 and compared workers aged 18–64 years of low income (annual ho...

We examined the disparities in health-care coverage between low- and high-income workers in Washington State (WA) to provide support for possible policy decisions for uninsured workers. We examined data from the WA Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2003-2007 and compared workers aged 18-64 years of low income (annual household income <$35,...

Workers in the United States with limited English proficiency likely perform more hazardous work, experience higher rates of work-related injury and illness, and have worse disability outcomes. We conducted a descriptive study of employment characteristics, timeliness and utilization of workers' compensation (WC) insurance benefits, cost and occupa...

In Washington State an ergonomics rule was adopted in 2000 that focused on primary prevention. The implementation process followed a 6-year phase-in schedule where employers came into compliance based upon their size and industry. In late 2003 the rule was repealed by an industry-funded voter initiative. Evaluating the implementation of this rule o...

We found support for several hypotheses linking work practices to employee outcomes: reducing biomechanical workload is associated with decreased burnout via perceptions that job demands are less threatening; lower demands are associated with higher job satisfaction primarily through decreases in burnout; employers who include employees in decision...

Enforcement inspections encourage safe workplaces and prevent injuries and illnesses through deterrence. States also offer consultation services in response to employers' requests for help to correct potential hazards and rule violations without the threat of penalty. The effectiveness of these activities in reducing injuries and illnesses remains...

We quantified the underreporting of work-related injury or illness to workers' compensation (WC). Using data from 2612 wage-earning respondents who participated in the 2002 Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we assessed work-related injury or illness in the previous year and identified the factors associated with WC claim...

The objective of this study was to identify high-risk industry groups for effective allocation of occupational safety and health prevention and research resources. We used all compensable Washington state workers' compensation claims to rank North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industry groups by a "prevention index" (PI). The PI i...

To characterize accepted workers' compensation claims for needlestick injuries filed by healthcare workers (HCWs) in non-hospital compared with hospital settings in Washington State. Descriptive study of all accepted workers' compensation claims filed between 1996 and 2000 for needlestick injuries. All Washington State HCWs eligible to file a state...

The construction industry is associated with high rates of work-related injury. We used workers compensation data to describe the injuries and illnesses, claim rates, and claim costs associated with wood framing activities in construction. From 1993 to 1999, there were 33,021 accepted state fund workers compensation claims with direct costs of over...

There has been considerable debate in the public policy arena about the appropriate mix of regulatory enforcement and consultation in achieving desired health and safety behavior across industries. Recently there has been a shift in federal policy toward voluntary approaches and constraining the scope of enforcement programs, although there is litt...

A survey of Washington State employers was conducted in 1998 to ascertain employer perceptions about the presence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, risk factors, measures taken to address these problems, their benefits and where employers turned for help on these issues. Almost 5,000 employers responded to the survey (75% response rate). A...