Application of an injury surveillance system to injuries at an industrial facility

We developed a computerized surveillance database employing the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) and sampled three months of nonfatal injuries at a large industrial facility. Data from 197 injury visits to the plant medical department were collected. With the addition of some new AIS codes for injuries specific to the workplace, most injuries could be coded and severity scores calculated with good interrater reliability. Neither Maximum AIS nor Injury Severity Score (ISS) predicted restricted or lost work time. Because of its ease of automation and reliability, the AIS can serve as a useful tool for occupational injury surveillance, but its current severity scoring system is not predictive of disability.