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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
WOMEN'S BUREAU
Bulletin No. 151
INJURIES TO
WOMEN IN PERSONAL SERVICE
OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
FRANCES PERKINS, Secretary
WOMEN'S BUREAU
MARY ANDERSON, Director
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INJURIES TO
WOMEN IN PERSONAL SERVICE
OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
By
MARGARETT. METTERT
BuLLETI'N oF THE WoMEN's BVRf;AU1
No. 151
UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 1937
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. - - - - - • - - • • Price 10 cents
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CONTENTS
Page
V
1
:!5!~~i~;ll~~~~~~~=~~=~:::---::::=-::-:::::==::::::::=:::-Number of injured persons ____ _____________ __ _____________ ____ --
Data~;;n{~ii~If~~~iiiiiiiiii~i:- ::::::::::::::::::=::::::-:
!::Mfc~fi!ea~!i~~itZ===========--------===============-=- =:Fa11s of persons ____ _________________________________ _____ _
Hot, corrosive, and poisonous substances __ __ ___________ _____ _
Stepping on or striking against objects ___ ______________ ____ _ _
Handling objects __ ____ ______________________________ _____ _
Hand tools ________ ______ _____________________________ ___ _
Other causes ___________ _________________________________ _ _
Summary by age ________ ______________________________ ___ _
Family responsibility ______ ______ _______________________________ ___ _
Occupation ___________________ _________________________________ __ _
Laundries ______ ______ _____ ____________________________ ___ ___ _
Hotels _________________ ____________________________________ __
Restaurants ______________ ___________________________________ _ _
Barber and beauty shops _____________________________________ _ _
Households ___ __ ___ _______ ________________ ________________ ___ _
Occupation and cause of injury ____ _________________________________ _
Machine accidents __ _________________________________________ _ _
Handling objects ____ __________ ____________ _____ _____________ __
Falls of p ersons _____ ___ ___ __ _____ ____________________________ _
Stepping on or striking against objects ___ _______________________ _
Hand tools _____ __ _________ __ ________________________________ _
Hot, corrosive, and poisonous substances ___ ______ ___ _______ _____ _
Other causes ______________________ _______ __ ___________ _______ _
Summary by occupation _____ ___ _________ __________ ____________ _
Wages _____ ____ __________________ __ ___ ___ _________ ______________ _
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TABLES
1. Number of males and of females employed in the five personal serv-
ice industries, Ohio, 1932 and 1933_ _____________ ___ ___ __________
2. Number of males and females injured in five personal service industries, 1932 and 1933_ ________________ __ ________________ __ _____
3. Extent of disability caused by injury, 1932 and 1933__ ___ ___ __ ___ ___
4. Nature of injury, 1933___ ___ ____________________ _______________ __
5. Location of injury, 1933____ _______________________ _________ ___ ___
6. Age of injured persons, 1932 and 1933____ ___ __ __________________ __
7. Dependents of injured males and females, 1932 and 1933___ _______ ___
8. Weekly wages of employees at time of injury, 1932__ ________ ________
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LEITER OF TRANSMITTAL
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR,
OMEN'S BUREAU,
w
Washington, March 16, 1937.
MADAM: I have the honor to transmit a report on injuries to employees in personal service occupations in Ohio, covering laundries and
dry cleaners, hotels, restaurants, beauty and barber shops, and households. The report is based on unpublished figures made available to
the Women's Bureau by the Department of Industrial Relations of
Ohio, to whiclr office I extend my grateful thanks.
The figures are uncommon in more than one respect. Not only do
they include household employment, to the limited extent to which it
comes under the compensation law, but in each of the groups all
accidents, instead of only those that are compensable, are reported.
The report was prepared by Margaret T. Mettert, of the division
of research.
Respectfully submitted.
MARY ANDERSON, Director.
Hon. FRANCES PERKINS,
Secretary of Labor.
V
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/
INJURIES TO .WOMEN IN PERSONAL
SERVICE OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
INTRODUCTION
For the first time data have been made available for a detailed study
of the factors relating to women's injuries in the field of their greatest
employment-the service industries. The figures analyzed here have
been prepared for the Women's Bureau by the Ohio Department of
Industrial Relations from their records for 1932 and 1933, reported
by sex.
.
It has been possible to obtain fairly complete information by sex
for these separate industries because the workmen's compensation
law of Ohio requires all employers of three or more persons to keep a
record of all injuries to employees and to report within a week after
the occurrence of an accident. Ohio is one of the very few States
that cover household employees in their compensation for injuries.
According to the law, the reports must include, in addition to public
employees,1 every person "regularly in the same business, or in or
about the same establishment under any contract of hire, * * *
but not including any person whose employment is but casual and
not in the usual course of trade, business, profession, or occupation of
his employer." Listed occupational diseases are included in the compensation requirements, which also enable voluntary coverage by the
employer of employees where less than three are engaged.
The following analysis covers cases of injury reported according to
the law as occurring to employees in five service industries-laundries
and dry cleaners, hotels,2 restaurants and counter lunchrooms, barber
and beauty shops, and households.
While it is not possible to assemble exactly comparable figures from
the United States Census, it is evident that in 1930 approximately
one-fifth of all gainfully occupied women in Ohio and three-fourths of
those in domestic and personal services were employed in th~se five
groups. 3
The restriction of the compulsory features of the law to employers
regularly employing three or more workers, though employers of only
one or two may voluntarily come under the law if they so desire,
considerably reduces the completeness of the records for household
employment, since in the great majority of homes fewer than three
domestic workers are engaged. Therefore the number of injuries
reported to household employees does not by any means show the
actual hazards of employment in the home. The underestimation
1 Except officials and firemen and policemen in cities having pension funds.
2 Includes boarding houses where both meals and lodging are sold and three or more persons are regularly
employed.
3 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census: 1930, Population, vol. IV, Occupations, pp. 1240, 1247,
1248.
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·2
IN.JURIES IN P E R SONAL SERVICE OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
of injuries in this type of employment is greater for women than for
men because households employing three or more workers are more
likely to have a man on the staff than households employing less
than three.
Besides the limitations of the law, just discussed, the material considered here is limited to the two calendar years of 1932 and 1933,
years when unemployment reached such a high point that the actual
number of accidents decreased considerably. The injuries tabulated
include not only those compensable cases where the disability caused
loss of more than 7 days from work, but the injuries involving no loss
of time and the loss of 7 days or less.
Any comparison of the numbers injured in these different industries
must be modified by the fact that the numbers of casual employees
and the size of establishments vary greatly among the five industries
discussed.
SUMMARY OF FACTS
[1932 and 1933 combined except where specified]
Number of injuries.
Number of injuries to employees in personal service industries:
M ales
F emales
Total __ ___ ___ ____ ____________________________ _
5,359
Laundries and dry cleaners __ _____________________ _
900
Hotels __ __________________________ ___________ __ _
1, 634
Restaurants ___________________ ____________ ______ _ 2, 608
Barber and beauty shops _________ __ __ _______ _____ _
36
Households __________ ________________ ___________ _
181
3, 201
535
841
1, 670
51
104
Percent of injuries that occurred to females:
TotaL _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _
Laundries and dry clea ners __ __________ ______________
Hotels __ _____ ___ _________________ _______ _______ ___
Restaurants _ ______ _____ ____ _______ _________ _______
Households _____________________ ___________________
193!8
1933
36. 7
36. O
31. 8
38. 2
38. 7
36. 4
39. 6
38. 5
32. 2
40. 8
Decline in injuries from 1932 to 1933:
Males-299, or 10.6 percent.
Females-75, or 4.6 percent.
Greatest decline in laundries and dry cleaners.
Least decline in households.
Severity of injury.
Males Female&
Fatalities ___ _______ __ __ ___ ______ __ ______ __ ___ __________ 29
Permanent disabilities ________ ____ ____ _________ ___ _______ 23
12
13
Per<rent of injuries that caused over 7 days' disability :
Males
193!8
Laundries and dry cleaners __ __ ____
Hotels ________ ______ __ ______ ____
Restaurants _ ____________________
Households ______________ __ ___ __ _
' Not computed; base less than 50.
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22. 3
17. 8
24. 0
40. 2
Females
. 1933
18. 7
18. 1
21. 9
32. 1
1932
20. 0
19. 3
22. 1
( 4)
1933
20. 8
20. 8
22. 3
39. 7
INTRODUCTION
3
Nature and location of injury.
Types of injury affecting 20 percent or more of the persons injured in 1 year:
Males
Laundries and dry Cuts and lacerations.
cleaners.
Crushes and bruises.
Sprains, strains, dislocations.
Hotels _ _____ ___ _, _ Cuts and lacerations.
Restaurants _________ ___ do _______ _____ __ _
Barber and beauty _____ do ____________ __ _
Crushes and bruises.
shops.
Punctures.
Sprains, strains, dislocations.
Households _______ Cuts and lacerations.
Sprains and strains.
Females
Cuts and lacerations.
Crushes and bruises.
Punctures.
Burns and scalds.
Cuts and lacerations.
Crushes and bruises.
Cuts and lacerations.
Do.
Crushes and bruises.
Punctures.
Cuts and lacerations.
Burns and scalds.
Part of body affected in 20 percent or more of injuries:
Males
Females
Laundries and dry cleaners______ _______ __ Fingers.
Fingers.
Arms.
Fingers.
Hands.
Fingers.
Households ___ __ _____ __ _____ ___ _________ Trunk.
Barber and beauty shops ___ _______ ____ __ _ Fingers.
Hands.
Other industries ____ __ ____ ________ _______ Fingers.
Do.
Cause of injury.
Percent distribution by cause- 5 personal service groups combined:
Males
Female,
16. 0
23.
19.
14.
13.
Falls of persons_ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _
Handling objects __________ ___ ___ __ ___ ____ ___ ______ _
Stepping on or striking against objects__ ______ _____ ___
Hot, corrosive, and poisonous substances______ ______ __
Hand tools__ __ ___ __ __ ______ ___ __________________ __
22. 8
11. 8
11. 1
14. 8
8
2
9
8
9. 3
No other cause was responsible for 10 percent of the injuries to either sex.
Age.
Percent distribution of injured females by age-5 personal service industries
combined:
Under 25 years ____ ______ ___ ____ ___ _________ ____
25 to 34 years _______ _______ _______ __ __ ___ _____ _
35 to 44 years ____ ___ ____ _____ _________ ________ _
45 to 54 years ____________________ _____________ _
55 years and over _____ ___ _______________ __ __ ___ _
1932
1933
34. 0
29. 6
22. 7
33. 1
30. 9
20. 6
9. 6
10. 2
4. 1
5. 3
Laundries and dry cleaners: Disproportionately :high percentage of injuries to
females under 20 years.
Hotels: Low percentage of injuries to females under 25. High percentage to
those 35 to 44.
Households: Oldest age group ·accounted for more than average percentage of
injuries to both sexes.
Age and cause.
Women over 45: Falls ranked high.
Youngest groups:
Females in laundries-machinery and stepping on or striking against
objects.
Females in hotels-falls and handling objects.
Males in laundries-motor vehicle injuries predominant.
Males in hotels and restaurants-handling objects ranked highest.
133366°-37-2
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INJURIES IN PERSONAL SERVICE OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
Occupation and cause.
Principal occupations listed with main cause of injury:
Industry
Came of injur11
Occupation
Males
Laundries and dry clean- Chauffeurs.
erE!.
Laundry workers.
Hotels ____ ___ __________ Laborers.
Restaurants ____ __ __ _______ ___ do. ___ _______ _
Waiters.
Barber and beauty shops Operators.
Households ____________ _ Laborers.
Motor vehicles.
Machinery.
Handling objects.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Falls.
Females
Laundries and dry clean- Laundry workers.
ers.
Hotels ____ _______ __ ____ Laborers.
Servants.
Machinery.
Waitresses.
Restaurants _______ ___ ___ ___ __ do. ___ __ _____ _
Laborers.
Barber and beauty shops _ Operators.
Households_ ______ ______ Laborers.
Servants.
Handling objects.
Stepping on or striking
against objects.
Falls.
Do.
Handling objects.
Do.
Do.
Falls.
Wages.
Percent of injured receiving less than $15 weekly:
Males
Laundries and dry cleaners_ _ _ __ __ _
Hote~ -- -- --- - - -------- - - -- - - - -Restaurants _______ ____ ____ ______
Households ______ ________________
5
Not computed; base less than 50.
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Females
1931
1933
1932
11. 3
3& 0
46. 4
24. 1
22. 9
46. 1
58. 7
34. 8
81. 8
73. 8
75. 5
(5)
1933
93.
79.
88.
71.
1
1
1
2
DATA AS TO INJURIES
Number of injured persons.
A total of 4,467 injuries, 36.7 percent of them to females, were
reported in Ohio in these five service industries in 1932. In 1933 the
total number decreased to 4,093, and in spite of women's somewhat
greater decline than men's in employment, the injuries to women
increased to 38.2 percent of the total. That men's injuries decreased
more than women's probably is due to men's greater unemployment
in certain occupations. Considered industry by industry, injuries
to females actually increased slightly in hotel and household employment. In restaurants the decrease was greater for females than for
males.
Table 1 shows by industry the number of males and of females in
each year at work for employers hiring regularly three or more persons.
Though females outnumbered males in each industry but hotels, one
of the most interesting facts, apparent in table 2, is that in every case
but barber and beauty shops injuries to males outnumbered those to
females. The difference in numbers employed was slight in the case
of households. It was greatest in barber and beauty shops, and
women employed there, who comprised two-thirds of the workers,
received three-fifths of the injuries.
Explanation of the greater number of injuries to males is indicated
in the special occupations of the persons affected and in the causes of
injury, which may be seen on pages 17 to 22. Occupations of
males were more hazardous than those of females, as is shown in the
number of males hurt by the operation of motor vehicles and the
number of male laborers injured.
Compared to general reports of industrial accidents the proportion
females formed of all those who received injuries is very high. Though
there are no data by sex for all injuries in industry in Ohio, reports
from 15 States in 1931 showed that the proportion women were of
the total number injured varied from 1.4 percent to 12.7 percent, and
in only one State was the proportion so high as 10 percent. 6
Because of the high proportion of injured persons in these industries
who are women, detailed analyses of the factors surrounding and
contributing to injury are of special interest to working women.
& U. S. D epartment of Labor. Women's Bureau.
Industrial Injuries to Women in 1930 and 1931 Compared
with Injuries to Men. Bul. 129, 1935, pp. 12 and 13.
5
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6
INJURIES IN PERSONAL SERVICE OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
TABLE
!.-Numbers of males and of females employed in the 5 personal service
industries, Ohio, 1932 and 1933 1
Employees in 1932
Employees in 1933
Females
Industry
Females
Both
sexes
Both
sexes
Males
38,687
18,056
20,631
53. 3
37,305
17,806
19,499
12,589
10,188
12,564
1,251
2,095
5,375
5,347
5,880
418
1,036
7,214
4,841
6,684
833
1,059
57. 3
47. 5
53. 2
66. 6
50. 5
11,657
9,431
12, 734
1,239
2,244
5,035
4,991
6,329
367
1,084
6,622
4,440
6,405
872
1,160
Number
Percent
of total
Males
Number
- -- - - - - - - - - - - -5 industries ____________
Laundries and dry cleaners __
Hotels ________ ____ __ _________
Restaurants __________ __ ___ __
Barber and beauty shops ____
Households ___ ___ ______ ______
-
-- ------------------
Percent
of total
- -52.3
- -56.-8
47.1
50.3
70. 4
51. 7
t Unpublished statistics from Ohio Division of Labor Statistics. (All employers hiring 3 or more employees regularly.)
The change in numbers employed differed considerably by industry.
Though the combined loss was only 1,382 (3.6 percent), laundries
lost 932 and hotels 757. Beauty-shop employees declined by 12.
Restaurants and households, on the other hand, had gains of respectively
170 and 149 workers.
In the three largest industries women's losses were greater than
those of men ; in fact, in restaurants the number of females declined
by 279, while the number of males increased by 449. As a result of
this condition, in the three chief industries and in the total for all
five, females comprised a smaller percent of the total in 1933 than in
1932. In the small groups in barber and beauty shops and in households the changes in employment were favorable to females, and raised
somewhat the percent they formed of the total.
TABLE
2.-Number of males and females injured in 5 personal service industries,
1932 and 1933
.
1932
Industry
Males
Total
number Num- Perber
cent
- 5 industries ____________ 4,467
- -
Laundries and dry cleaners __
764
Hotels __ --------- ----------- - 1,303
Restaurants __________________ 2, 211
Barber and beauty shops _____
46
H9useholds __________________
143
1
1933
Females
Males
Females
Total
numNum- Perber Num- Per- Num- Perber
cent
ber
cent
ber
cent
-------- - - ------
2,829
63. 3
1,638
36. 7
4,093
2, 530
61.8
1,563
38. ~
489
889
1,336
18
97
64. 0
68. 2
60. 4
(1)
67.8
275
414
875
28
46
36. 0
31. 8
39. 6
(1)
32. 2
671
1,172
2,067
41
142
411
745
1,272
18
84
61. 3
63. 6
61. 5
(1)
59. 2
260
427
795
23
58
38. 7
36. 4
38. 5
------------------
(I)
40.8
Not computed; base less than 50.
Extent of disability.
Accidents are included in this report whether they caused loss of
time or not. For this reason the statistics have a distinctly greater
value to persons interested in the prevention of accidents than if
only compensable injuries were reported. Naturally, very · similar
accidents may have very different results, slight in one case, severe
in another.
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DATA AS TO INJURIES
7
H owever, the measurement of injury by the severity of its results
serves the purpose of making more forceful the presentation of the
need for prevention. Table 3 pictures the severity of injuries in the
five industries under discussion. In these 2 years there were in Ohio
12 females and 29 males fatally injured in these service industries,
and 13 females and 23 males suffered some permanent injury.
Considering temporary injuries causing more than a week's loss of
time, it is to be noted that household employees show a much higher
proportion than any other group in this class.
Next to household employment, restaurants had the highest proportion of the temporary injuries causing a loss of over 7 ·days, but
the variations between industries were slight.
Accidents causing no loss of time formed the greatest proportion of
the total in each industry, varying in the case of males from 44-.3
percent of all injuries to household employees in 1932 to 72 .5 percent
of all t o laundry employees in 1933. In the case of females this percentage varied from 46 .6 percent of all injuries to household employees
in 1933 t o 70.4 percent of all to laundry employees in the same year.
Somewhat smaller proportions of women's injuries than of men's were
in the no-time-lost group, except those in laundries and restaurants
in 1932.
TABLE
3.-Extent of disability caused by injury, 1932 and 1933
Percent of total 1
Number of injuries
Industry
Total
nUm•
ber 2
Fatal
Perma•
nent
partial
T empo•
rary,
but
over
7 days
lost
F atal
Perma•
nent
partial
Temporary,
but
over
7 days
lost
1932
M ales:
Laundries and dry cleaners. . . . .. . .
Hotels ...... . . ...... . . . .. . . . . ... . . .
Restaurants ........ . . . ... . . . . ... . .
Barber and beauty shops . . . . ... . . .
Households . •.. . .. . . . . . .. . . . . .. . ..
Females:
Laundries and dry cleaners._. _.. _.
Hotels ..... •. . . ....... . . . . . . . ... __
Restaurants ... . .... . . . . ........ . . _
Barber and beaut y shops.... . .... .
Households .. .. . . . .. . .. . . . ..... . •.
5
3
489
889
1, 336
18
97
8
1
1
3
9
1
275 ... ...... · - --- - ·- 414
3
1
875
2
28
46
8
1 · - · - · - · ··
109
1. 0
0. 2
22. 3
158
.3
.3
17. 8
320
.6
.7
24. 0
5 · - - -----· ----·· ··· ·- · ···· · 39
1. 0
40. 2
55 - - - - - - · · · · - - · ·-···
.2
•7
.2
.9
80
193
20. 0
19. 3
22. 1
7
18
1933
Males:
Laundries and dry cleaners. -... . _.
Hotels .... -..... . .......... __ . _... .
Restaurants..... . . _. . . . _. . .. · -.. . _
Barber and beauty shops. . . _. . . . . .
Households .. -· · · -·· · -· · -· · - ·· · ·· ·
Females:
Laundries and dry cleaners . . ..... .
Hotels . . . _·· -- -- - -· -· -· ..... . . ---·
Restaurants . . _.... _. . _..... . . _. . __
Barber and beauty shops ... .. . .. . .
Households ... . ... . . ...... ... . . . . .
2
6
3
1
411
745
1, 272
18
84
---------1 ---------
260
3 ·-·-·· --·
427
795
1
2
4
4
1
3
23 . . . . . .... ·-·-·-·· ·
58
Not computed where base less than 50.
'Includes those involving no loss of time and the loss or 7 days or less.
1
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77
135
279
0. 5
.8
.2
0. 2
.5
.3
18. 7
18. 1
21. 9
6 • ••• ••••. ·- · · · · ··· ••. . •.•• •
1. 2
32. 1
27
54
89
177
1. 2 . . . ... . . .
.2
.3
.2
.4
20. 8
20. 8
22. 3
3 • ••••• •• . • • • ·· •·· • •• •.. .•• •
23
39. 7
8
INJURIES IN PERSONAL SERVICE OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
Nature of injury.
A glance at table 4 shows how important are cuts and lacerations
among the various types of injury in these industries. In each case
cuts and lacerations were more important to m ales than to females,
and for either sex rest aurant workers suffered from this type of injury
more frequently than did those in other industries.
Punctures and burns and scalds r anked higher than cuts in number
of females injured in laundries in 1933 and, according to unpublished
statistics, crushes and bruises were almost as high among female
l aundry workers in 1932. Burns and scalds were a much greater proportion of injuries to females than of those to males in laundries, restaurants, and-in 1933- household employment.
Male household employees suffered almost as many injuries from
sprains and strains in 1932 as from cuts, and crushes and bruises were
a considerable proportion of male laundry and hotel workers' injuries
in both years.
It is notable that fractures and sprains were an important type of
injury to both male and female household employees. The high ·percentage of these suggests that too little attention is given to equipping homes with safe flooring surfaces and safe devices for reaching
high places and for such h azardous work as window cleaning.
TABLE
4.-Nature of i njury, 1933
Percent of injuries that were-
Indust ry
Number
of
injuries
Burns
and
scalds
Crushes Cutsand
and
lacerabruises
tions
F ract ures
--- --- --- --- -
Males:
Laundries and dry cleaners ________
I 401
Hotels _____________ _______________ _
2 729
Restaurants _______ ________________ 3 1, 248
Barber and beauty shops ______ ____
16
Households_. ___ __________ ________
6 81
Females:
Laundries and dry cleaners ______ __
257
Hotels _______ . ____ _. ___________ . ___
6 412
Restaurants _____ __ _____ . ___ . ______
6 775
Barber and beaut y shops ______ ____
20
Households ____ __ __ _______________
56
Punctures
Sprains,
strains,
and dislocations
-- ---
11. 2
10. 8
13. 2
(4)
7. 4
18. 7
19.1
12. 8
(1)
16. 0
36. 9
39. 8
47. 8
(•)
34. 6
8. 7
3. 4
3. 0
(1)
8. 6
5. 7
6. 9
10. 2
(' )
11.1
18. 5
19. 5
12. 7
(I)
21. 0
20. 6
10. 9
19. 2
(•)
21. 4
17. 1
24. 3
16. 9
(1)
8. 9
19. 8
30. 8
37. 0
(1)
30. 4
4. 3
5. 1
2. 7
(1)
16.1
23. 0
8. 7
9. 0
(')
7. 1
15. 2
19. 7
14. 8
(I)
16. 1
'.
Includes 1 asphyxiation, not shown separately.
Includes 1 amputation, 1 asphyxiation, and 2 concussions, not shown separately.
a Includes 3 amputations and 1 concussion, not shown separately.
'Not computed; base less than 50.
6 Includes 1 drowning, not shown separately .
o Includes 1 amputation and 1 concussion, not shown separately.
1
ll
Location of injury.
Table 5 shows, for both males and females in 1933, the extent to
which injuries occurred to the various parts of the body. These and
similar data for 1932, not published here, are used as a basis for the
analysis following.
T he most numerous injuries were those to the fingers. These comprised from about one-sixth to almost one-half of the male total and
from one-fourth to two-fifths of the female t otal. They included over
one-third of all accidents to m ales in hotels in 1932 and in restaurants
in both y~ars, and to females in laundries and restaurants in both years
and in hotels in 1932. No other single part of the body had so great
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DATA AS TO INJURIES
9
a proportion of the total injuries in any industry with the exception of
households in 1932, where mjuries to the trunk and the arms of males
equaled or exceeded those to their fingers.
Hands affected, as distinct from fingers, were a comparatively small
part of the total, but in 1933 they ranked second to fingers among
injuries to males in restaurants and to females in households. In each
year over 10 percent of all men's accidents in hotels and in restaurants
affected their hands. More than 10 percent of all women's injuries
in restaurants each year and in hotels and households in 1933 were to
the hands; in fact, women in households had 22 percent so reported.
Arm injuries were more numerous than hand injuries both to males
and to females. They amounted to as much as one-sixth of accidents
to males in households in 1932 and in laundries in 1933. They were
even more important to female laundry employees, one-fifth of whose
accidents in each year affected the arms. Among female household
employees also, about one-fifth of the injuries in 1933 were to the
arms, as were more than one-eighth of those to females in hotels and
in restaurants. No data are available in Ohio to compare extent of
disability according to location, but figures from other States have
shown that the cost per case in compensation is much greater in arm
injuries than in those to hands and fingers or. to legs and feet. 7 The
preponderance of disabilities to the upper extremities would be expected from the nature of the injuries affecting these service workers.
Leg, foot, and toe injuries were most frequent in laundry and household work among the men, in hotel work among the women. Foot.
disabilities never were more than 5.1 percent of the tot.al in any industry. Toe injuries were even less common, but legs were the part
of the body affected in the case of over one-fifth of all males injured
in households in 1933 and over one-tenth of all males injured in laundries, hotels, and households each year. Eleven percent or more of all
accidents to females, in each industry in both years, resulted in leg
injuries.
TABLE
Industry
5.- Location of injury, 1933
Percent of injuries that occurred toNumber of
injuFin- Legs Feet Toes Head
Eyes Trunk
and
ries Arms Hands gers
face
------- Males:
Laundries and dry cleaners __________ ____ --- --- _
411
17. 0
Hotels _________________ __
10. 6
745
Restaurants __________ __ __ 1,272
10.8
18 ------Barber and beauty shops_
Households __ ______ ____ __
84
11. 9
Females:
Laundries and dry clean260
21. 5
ers ___ -- -- _---- --- -- - --Hotels _________________ __
427
12. 4
Restaurants ______________
12. 2
795
(1)
Barber and beauty shops _
23
Households ___ ___________
19. 0
58
1
6. 1
10. 7
12. 1
23. 4
31. 3
46. 8
13. 4
10. 6
7. 2
7.1
25. 0
21.4
6. 2
12. 2
12. 5
38.1
29. 3
37. 4
13. 5
15. 2
11. 8
22. 4
24.1
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
------ - 3. 2
3.9
3. 2
1. 5
2.0
1.8
-- ----- ------1.2
3. 6
3. 1
1.9
1.4
2. 3
5.0
.8
(1)
---- - -- -- ----12. 1 -- -- --1. 7
11. 4
6. 2
3. 1
(1)
------4. 8
7. 1
5. 6
6.8
3.9
1. 9
5. 6
4. 0
(1)
4. 6
2. 3
3.1
(1)
6. 9 -------
-18. 5
17. 9
11. 2
(1)
17. 9
9. 2
19. 2
13. 2
(1)
13. 8
Not computed ; baseless than 50.
New York . Department of Labor. The Industrial Bulletin, January 1936, p. 5, and February 1936,
p . 43.
1
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10
INJURIES IN PERSONAL SERVICE OCCUPA-'TIONS I N OHIO
The trunk ranked next to the groups comprising the extremities.
This part of the body was affected in greater proportions of women's
than of men's injuries in hotels and restaurants, and in greater proportions of men's than of women's injuries in laundries and households. Over one-fourth of injuries of male household employees in
1932 were to the trunk. This should be considered in conjunction
with the fact that a large percentage of male household employees had
sprains, strains, and dislocations. Almost one-fifth of the injuries to
male laundry, hotel, and household employees in 1933 were injuries
to the trunk.
Among men, the head and face were more commonly affected in
hotel and laundry employment than elsewhere; among women in
household and hotel work.
Eye injuries to males were most frequent in laundries, least frequent
in restaurants. In each industry males suffered a greater proportion
of their disabilities to the eyes than did females, with the one exception
of restaurants in 1933, in which the percent was the same. In each
year, more than 10 percent of the injuries of male laundry employees,
in contrast to less than' 5 percent of those of females, affected the eyes.
Cause of injury.
Analysis of the cause of injury is essential in the study of accident
prevention. Further details appear in the sections age and cause of
mjury (p. 12) and occupation and cause of injury (p. 17).
Two causes, handling objects and falls of persons, accounted for
approximately 40 percent of the injuries to males and to females. In
the case of females, falls were most outstanding; in the case of males,
handling objects predominated. Hand tools caused a greater proportion of men's than of women's injuries, and stepping on or striking
against objects a greater proportion of women's than of men's. Hot,
corrosive, and poisonous substances were a more important source of
injury to females than to males. Motor vehicles caused less than 1
percent of injuries t'o females, but 4.3 percent of those to males.
The figures following show the percent distribution of injuries
according to cause, for the years 1932 and 1933 combined.
Falls of persons _______________ __ ___ __ ___ ____ _
Handling objects _________ ___ ____ _____ _______ _
Stepping on or striking against objects _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Hot, corrosive, and poisonous substances _ _______
Hand tools ____ ________ ______ __ ___ __ __ __ ____ _
Machinery _______________ ___ __ ____ _____ _____ _
Falling objects____ ______ ____ ______ _______ ____
Motor vehicles ___ _____ ________ ____ __ _____ ____
Other _____ ___ _____ ____ ____ _______ __________ _
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Male8
16. 0
22. 8
11. 8
1L 1
14. 8
5. 8
2. 9
4. 3
10. 6
Female,
23.
19.
14.
13.
9.
8
2
9
8
3
8. 4
2. 7
•4
7. 4
DATA AS TO PERSONS INJURED
Age.
The older persons, those 55 and over, had a very much smaller proportion of injuries, and the groups 20 to 34 years had a very much
larger proportion, than would be accounted for by the numbers in
these age groups among all domestic and personal service workers as
reported by th~ census. The 1930 census of occupations found that
19.8 percent of all males and 15.3 percent of all females who were in
domestic and personal service in Ohio were 55 years of age or more,8
but the present study shows only 4.8 percent of the injured males and
4.1 percent of the injured females in such age group in 1932. (See
table 6.) This slighter susceptibility of older persons may be accounted for by differences in experience, skill, judgment, andperhaps most of all-occupation. Whatever the cause, it would seem
that older persons are particularly good accident risks in the service
industries. Unpublished figures show that for both males and females
a greater number of injuries affected persons 20 to 24 years of age
than those in any other age group.
TABLE
6.-Age of injured persons, 1932 and 1933
Number
with •- -- --
Industry
repao~~ed
Percent whose age was-·
- - --
-
- - -- - -
U nder 25 125 to 34135 t o 44 1 45 t o 54 155 years
years
years
years
years
and over
1932
Males:
I
5 indust ries 1 ___ _ __ _ ___ _ ___ _______ _ __
2,466
30. 6
33. 5
20. 2
10.9
4.8
L aundries and dry cleaners _____ ___ ___
Hotels . _____ ___ ____ ___ _____________ ___
Restaurants _______ ___ ____ __ _____ _____
Households _______ ____ ______ _____ _____
Females:
5 industries! ______ ______ ______ _____ _
453
691
1, 215
90
17. 9
30. 0
36. 7
14. 4
38. 2
32.6
33. 2
26. 7
25. 2
20. 3
17. 4
27. 8
12. 4
10.3
10. 2
17.8
6.4
6. 9
2. 5
13. 3
1,431
-36.7
34. 0
29. 6
22. 7
9. 6
4.1
20. 2
29. 2
20. 9
11. 3
5. 2
4. 3
3. 2
L aundries an d dry cleaners ___________
H otels. _____ _____ __________ _____ ___ ___
R estauran ts __ __ ___________ ___________
H ouseholds . ________ __ ______ ______ __ __
---248
329
786
41
24. 6
37. 3
(1)
26. 6
31. 9
29. 9
(2)
(1)
10. 0
8.8
(')
(1)
1933
M ales:
5 industries 1___ _ _____ _ _ _ _ ______ _ ____
L aundries and dry cleaners ________ ___
Hotels . ________ --- ---- - - - - ----------- Restauran ts___
____
-- ------------------__Households
_____
_________________
]females:
5 industries 1_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _____ _ _ _ __ _
L aundries and dry cleaners ____ _______
H otels ________ _________ ____ _____ ___ __ _
Restauran ts __________ __ __ _____ ____ __ _
Households _________________ ____ ____ __
2,261
- -377
603
1,190
76
1, 406
·- - -
245
350
737
53
29. 9
17. 8
24. 9
37. 5
15. 8
32. 6
20. 3
11. 3
5. 8
33. 4
33. 5
31. 4
39. 5
24. 4
18. 9
19. 8
19. 7
14. 6
13. 9
8. 5
18. 4
9.8
8. 8
2.8
6.6
33. 1
30. 9
20. 6
10. 2
5. 3
29.8
22. 6
38. 9
28. 3
30. 6
36. 9
28.1
30. 2
22.0
23.1
18. 9
24.5
10. 6
10.3
10.6
6. 7
6.9
7.1
3. 5
11.3
- -- - --
Includes barber and beauty shops, not shown separately because of sm all numbers.
'Not computed; base less than 50.
1
s U. S. Bureau of t he Census.
Fifteen t h Census: 1930, Population, vol. IV, Occupa tions, p p . 1274, 1275.
11
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12
I NJ URIES IN PERSONAL SERVICE OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
Variations from industry to industry are apparent. While for the
five industries as a whole the 20-to-24-year group suffered most injuries, in both years male laundry operatives 25 to 29 years of age
had the greatest percentage of injuries. In 1932 male household
employees' injuries were distributed fairly evenly from 20 years on,
the largest percentage occurring to those 40 to 44 years old. In 1933
the largest proportion fell in the 25-to-29-year group.
The age group 20 to 24 years accounted for the highest percentage
of women's injuries in laundries and restaurants in 1932; in hotels
equal proportions were in the groups 20 to 24 years and 35 to 39 years,
and in household employment 9 of the 41 cases reported were 25 to
29 years old and 7 were 55 and over. In . 1933 both laundries and
hotels reported a somewhat larger percentage of injuries to women
25 to 29 years old.
Age and cause of injury
Age constitutes a contributing factor in the causation of accidents,
though it is not always clear whether this is a result of the choice of
persons of certain age groups for certain occupations or of weaknesses
inherent in that age group. For example, the fact that in laundries
over 46 percent of motor vehicle injuries were to men 25 to 34 years
old, though men of such ages were but 36 percent of all injured males,
undoubtedly is because employers choose men from that group as
drivers. But the high proportion of falls affecting men and women
55 years old and over probably is connected less definitely with
occupation.
Significant variations of cause with age are summarized in this
discussion. Figures for 1932 and 1933 have been combined.
MACHINE ACCIDENTS
The percent distribution of machine accidents, by age of injured,
was as follows:
Under
Males:
25 years
Laundries and dry cleaners __ __ __ ___ 20. 6
Hotels _ ___ ____ _____ ______ ____ ____ 34. 2
Restaurants ______ ____________ _____ 50. 4
Females:
Laundries and dry cleaners _____ ____ 35. 4
Restaurants _________ ______________ 40. 2
25 to
34 years
S5 to
54 years
55 year s
and over
26. 8
50. 0
40. 8 ,
22. 1
5. 9
3. 9
30. 1
28. 7
27. 8
28. 7
6. 8
2. 3
23. 5
21. 1
.8
Barber and beauty shops and households had so few machine
injuries to either sex that percents have not been computed.
Machine injuries accounted for 27 percent of all injuries to females
in laundries. They were less than 6 percent of those to the females
in restaurants and hotels and less than 9 percent of those to males in
any industry. In laundries, girls under 25 years and especially those
under 20 years had a disproportionate share of machine injuries.
Women 55 years and over had less than a proportionate number of
machine injuries. This was true also of men in laundries, and more
markedly in restaurants and hotels.
FALLS OF PERSONS
Falls were the type of accident causing approximately one-fourth of
all injuries to females in hotels, restaurants, and households, and
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DATA AS TO PERSONS INJURED
13
about one-seventh of those in laundries. Among injured males falls
were not quite so important except in laundries, but nevertheless they
constituted over one-seventh of all injuries to males in each industry.
The proportion of older persons, both men and women, injured by
falls is striking. The summary following shows the percent due to
falls among the injuries to all persons and to persons 45 years and
over. 9
M ales
4511ears
and over
Total
Laundries and dry cleaners ____________ ____ 14. 3
Hotels _____________________ ___ ___ __ _____ 17. 8
Restaurants _____________________________ _ 15. 3
20. 3
25. 8
19. 1
Females
Total
45 11ears
and over
14. 0
29. 0
24. 2
28. 6
39. 8
27. 8
The following shows the percent that occurred to persons 45 years
and over among all injuries and among falls:
M ales
All injuries
Falls
Laundries and dry cleaners __ _____ ____ _____ 21. 3
Hotels _______________________ _________ __ 19. 8
Restaurants ______________________________ 12. 0
30. 3
28. 7
15. 0
Females
A ll injuries
Falls
17. 0
15. 9
13. 0
34. 8
21. 8
14. 9
HoT, CORROSIVE, AND PoisoNous S U BSTANCES
Injuries to employees of 55 years or older in restaurants were high
in the hot, corrosive, and poisonous substances class. To a considerable extent, however, such injuries were to employees of under 25
years. In laundries, hotels, and restaurants, one-third or more of the
mjuries to females from this group of causes were to girls under 25 .
Numerically this type of injury was more important in restaurants
than in any other industry represented, and here 100 of the 266
injured females were under 25. Four of the 11 female household
employees so injured were less than 25 years of age.
STEPPING ON OR STRIKING AGAINST OBJECTS
Stepping on or striking against objects was second only to machinery in injuries to female laundry employees. In the same
industry it ranked fourth for males. It was a more important type of
accident to females than to males in each of the other four industries.
For both sexes there is little correlation of age with injuries of this
nature. There is a slighter than proportional incidence in laundries
to persons 55 years old and over and a somewhat greater than proportional occurrence to those in the age groups 25 to 44. There is wide
variation in the other industries.
HANDLING OBJECTS
Handling objects was in most cases a more important cause of men's
than of women's injuries. In hotels, restaurants, and households more
males were injured by this type of cause than by any other, and in
these three industries it was second in importance for females. In
laundries this cause ranked second for males, third for females. In
barber and beauty shops the only outstanding cause of iniury to females was handling objects, and it was important also to male barbers.
• Households and barber and beauty shops omitted because numbers too small for computation of percents.
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14
INJURIES I N PERSONAL SERVICE OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
Except in the case of female restaurant workers, where those of 20
to 24 years were most likely to be· injured by handling objects, the
greatest proportion of injuries from that cause, for both males and
females, occurred in the age group 25 to 34 years. In proportion to
their number among the total reported of all ages, however, the very
youngest women, those under 20 years, had the highest proportion of
injuries from handling objects, the one exception being household
employment where women 45 to 54 years were most likely to be
injured in that way.
HAND TooLs
Though hand tools were not generally a major cause of injury, they
caused over one-tenth of the injuries to females in restaurants, almost
one-tenth of those to female household employees, one-eighth of the
injuries to males in households and hotels, and one-fifth of those to
males in restaurants. The highest age groups among both males and
females had few injuries from this type of cause. It would seem that in
the use of hand tools and machinery, and in handling objects, age and
experience are important factors in the prevention of injury.
OTHER
CA USE S
Motor-vehicle injuries to females were few in every industry and
were not of major importance to males except in laundries. About
half these injuries in laundries were to men 25 to 34 years old. All
groups under 20 years and over 34 suffered a smaller than proportionate
number of motor-vehicle injuries.
Other causes include transmission apparatus, elevators, hand trucks,
electricity, falling objects, occupational diseases, and explosions or
explosives. For such causes as falling objects there is no point in
comparing age of the injured, since the person placing the object or
causing its fall is not usually the person -injured. In the case of occupational diseases there has been considerable proof that women and
young people are most susceptible to certain diseases, 10 but the data
for the service industries in these 2 years are not sufficient to add to
knowledge on the subject.
SUMMARY B Y AGE
It is indicated that two age periods should have some special protection in occupations with certain hazards. In occupations drawing from
older groups, especially 55 years or more, safe floor surfacing, adequately guarded and lighted stairways, and otp.er factors of importance
in the prevention of falls should be of first importance. Hotels,
restaurants, and households especially should survey conditions which
may cause their employees to fall.
In the occupations drawing greatly from youthful groups for their
employees the need is for careful training in the use of tools, machinery,
and hot or corrosive substances, for safe practices in handling objects,
and for careful supervision of the methods of work.
10
U. S. Department of Labor. Women's Bureau. State Reporting of Occupational Disease. Bui. 114,
1934, pp. 12 and 15.
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DATA AS TO PERSONS INJURED
15
Family responsibility.
Industry takes its accident toll not only from the men and women
injured but from their dependents. In these personal service industries
the number so affected was not negligible. Nor was there so great a
difference in family responsibility between men and women as is
usually assumed.
Female laundry employees, whose wages were lower than those in
any other industry, had an average of practically one dependent (0.9)
per injured person in 1933. This is the highest average for wonien in
either year and in any industry. Female household employees in 1933
had the smallest average number of dependents (0.4). Males injured
in household service averaged 1.6 dependents in each year, an average
equaled only by male laundry employees in 1932. Male restaurant
employees had fewer dependents per person than had the other male
groups.
Table 7 gives in detail the total number of dependents and the
average number per injured person in each industry and in the five
industries combined.
TABLE
7.-Dependents of injured males and females, 1932 and 1933
M ales injured in
1932
Depend·
ents in-
Q.)~ .
Depend•
ents in-
... -~
~
'O
,a•.-<
g3
~
0
3'13
~
g3
~
0
El a,
~A
i:l
-Zs
g3
~§§
3
o3 '0"'
.;'9
..,i:l ....
8
3'13
~
~:s
Q;)i:l
Industry
5 industries ...... . ..
~1
Females injured in M ales injured in
1932
1933
g3
sai
8
i:l_zs
Depend·
ents in-
~A
g3
~§§ 8
3.;'9 o3'0"'
...,i:i ....
g3
~
0
~1
~
21:s
Females injured in
1933
Elai
~
~fS
.a ...
~
~A
i:l -Zs
~1
D epend•
en ts in-
g3
3.;'9 ~§§
8
f'g ~
8
~
~
~~
i:l !s
~§g
f'g ~
z -<~AA
z -<~AA i z -<~~~
z -<~AA
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -i:l
Q;)<l><l>
0
22 3, 192
1. 1
~
cO
i:l
Q;)Q;)Q;)
0
6 1,116
1.6 -- --- 1. 1
5
1.0
1
1. 5 -- -- -1.6 ------
-
0. 7
22 3,027
.7
4
619
13
906
4 1,347
25
-- --i- 130
~
1. 4
2 1,117
-----------
190
345
540
13
28
.8
.6
.5
.6
i:l
0
~
---------
Laundries and dry clean•
7
760
ers ........... . ....... . ..
961
6
Hotels .. . .............. . ..
9 1,288
Restaurants ............ ..
27
Barber and beauty shops __
Households _____ __________ ---------- - 156
Q;)<l><l>
i:l
0
~
1. 5
1
1. 2
1.1 ····1·
1. 4 ----- 1.6 ------
-
237
305
533
19
23
0. 7
- -
.9
.7
.7
.8
.4
Occupation.
In each industry there was a high concentration of injured females
in one or two occupations. Injured males, on the other hand, are
listed in a variety of jobs. Large proportions of males fall in the "all
other occupations" group, where there are too few in any one line of
work to be listed separately.
LAUNDRIES
In each .y ear between 75 and 80 percent of the injured females in
laundries were classed as laundry workers (ironers, mangle operators,
and so forth). The second largest group, machine operators, were
but 4 percent of the total.
Chauffeurs suffered more injuries than any other occupational group
of men, having about 30 percent of all male laundry employees' injuries. Laundry workers were a close second with 27 percent. Al-
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16
INJURIES IN PERSONAL SERVICE OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
most 7 percent of all the injuries in 1932 were to the combined groups
stationary engineers and stationary firemen, and the supervisory
group, including foremen and superintendents, were almost 10 percent
of the male total in each year. This compares with less than 2 percent
of women supervisors among the total of women injured. About 23
percent of males in 1932 and 20 percent in 1933, as compared with 12
percent of females in each year, fell into the miscellaneous class.
Notable changes from 1932 to 1933 were the doubling of the percent
of stationary engineers, though firemen decreased, among the total of
injured males, and the increase of injuries to female clerks. While the
latter is an occupation relatively hazard-free, in every establishment
the person in charge of safety should be certain that there are no special hazards such as waxed-floor surfacing in offices and that those in
clerical as well as in manual work are aware of such rules of safety as
apply to office and stockroom· employees.
HOTELS
Three occupation groups, laborers, servants, and waitresses, together made up over 80 percent each year of the women injured in
hotel employment. Waitresses were somewhat under 25 percent,
servants slightly over 25 percent, of all injured females. The group
classed as laborers is miscellaneous, since it includes occupations not
otherwise listed but distinctly of a laboring type and occupations too
incompletely described for· them to be classed more exactly than as
some form of manual labor.
Laborers constituted about 40 percent of male hotel workers.
Waiters ranked second but were less than 13 percent of the total in
either year. About 5 to 6 percent of injuries to males each year were
to chefs, and similar proportions of male stationary engineers and of
male and female clerks were injured. There were no marked differences in percentage distribution in 1932 and 1933.
RESTAURANTS
About half of the males injured in restaurant work were laborers.
With female workers also this was an important occupational group
among the injured, but it was second to waitresses, who were two-fifths
of all injured females. Over one-tenth of the injured females in each
year were clerks.
Approximately one-fifth of the injured males were waiters, onefourteenth were clerks, and one-twentieth were chefs. A larger percentage of males than of females were classed as helpers. Little difference is to be noted between the 2 years studied.
BARBER AND BEAUTY SHOPS
Of the 36 male and 51 female barber- or beauty-shop employees injured, 17 and 29, respectively, were operators. No other occupation
class included as many as 10 for both years combined.
HOUSEHOLDS
: Laborers were the large group of employees injured in households.
This was true of men and to a slightly less extent of women, as appears
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DATA AS TO PERSO S INJURED
17
from the following list, which shows the percent distribution of injuries in households, 1932 and 1933 combined, by occupation.
Males
Chaffueurs__ ________________________________ 12. 7
Gardeners_ _ _ _ __ _ ___ _ __ _ _ _ __ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _
7. 2
Laborers ______ ________ _____________________ 11 53. 0
Laundry workers ___ __ ____________________________ _
Nurses ___ ____ ___ _____________ _____ ______________ _
Servants___ __________ _______________________
7. 2
Other occupations ____ _________________ .: _____ 19. 9
Female&
44. 2
4.
2.
41.
6.
8
9
3
7
Among females the outstanding group were servants, considering
the miscellaneous and indefinite character of the group "laborers",
which is made less specific by the inclusion of poorly defined but definitely manual labor.
Occupation and cause of injury.
MACHINE ACCIDENTS
The prevention of injury to female laundry workers is closely connected with safe practices in machine operation. Over one-fourth of
all injured female laundry workers (ironers, mangle operators, and so
forth) gave machinery as the cause of accident, and the occupation
laundry workers accounted for over four-fifths of all machine accidents
to females in laundries. Machine injuries were of less importance
to male than to female workers and of less importance to males and
females in other industries than in laundries.
The following list shows by sex the occupations in which at least 5
percent of the injuries to both sexes were caused by machines. 12
Laundries and dry cleaners:
Foremen and superintendents _____________ _
Laundry workers ________________________ _
Hotels :
Chefs and stewards ___________ ______ _____ _
Clerks __ _______ ___ _________ __ ___________ _
Engineers and firemen __ ____ _________ ___ __ _
Laborers _______________ ___ ___ ___ ______ __ _
Waiters __ ___________________ __ _________ _
Restaurants :
Bakers and butchers __ ___ __ ______ ________ _
Chefs _____ ___ ________ ____ _____ _______ __ _
Clerks ___ ___________ ______ _______ ______ _ _
Helpers ____________________ _______ ___ __ _
Laborers ____ _______ ____________________ _
Waiters and waitresses ___________________ _
Males
Females
11. 8
56. 6
84. 3
5. 3
5.
16.
42.
7.
3
0
6
4
5. 7
5. 0
7. 1
7. 1
46. 4
20. 0
4. 3
2. 2
48. 4
38. 7
No data are available to show by cause the severity of injury to these
Ohio personal service employees, so it is of interest to note that New
York reports that about 40 percent of all ironing-machine injuries in
1934 were injuries to females; that women, on the average, were more
severely injured than men were; and that such injuries were more
severe in their results to women than any other machine injuries.
Almost half resulted in some permanent disability. 13
11 Janitors, grooms, caretakers, and so forth.
u Barber and beauty shops and households reported too few injuries from this cause for the computation of
percents. 27 female hotel employees were injured by machinery, 10 of whom are classed as laborers.
13 New York.
Department of Labor. The Industrial Bulletin, April 1936, p. 116.
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18
INJURIES IN PERSONAL SERVICE OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
HANDLING OBJECTS
While machine injuries were confined to relatively few occupations,
handling objects was a principal or secondary cause of injury in a
great many. Handling objects caused one-fourth or more of all
injuries in the following occupations:
Males:
Hotels-Waiters, laborers, helpers.
Rest_a urants-Clerks, laborers.
Barber and beauty shops-Operators, laborers and helpers.
Households-Gardeners.
Females:
Hotels-Laborers.
Restaurants-Clerks.
Barber and beauty shops-Operators, clerks, superintendents and
managers.
Households-Laborers, nurses.
While over 27 percent of the waiters' mJuries were caused by
handling objects, only 12 percent of the injuries to waitresses were so
caused. A high percentage of both male and female clerks' injuries
were attributed to handling objects.
From one-sixth to one-fourth of all injuries in the following occupations were caused by handling objects:
Males:
Laundries and dry cleaners-Laundry workers.
Hotels-Carpenters and painters, chefs and stewards, engineers and
:firemen.
Restaurants-Chefs, foremen and managers, helpers, waiters.
Households-Laborers, servants.
Females:
Hotels-Servants.
Restaurants- Helpers, laborers, waitresses.
Households-Laundry workers.
About 16 percent of waitresses' injuries in restaurants, as compared
with 22 percent of waiters' injuries, were the result of handling objects.
In general it may be said that this cause of injury was important in a
considerable number of occupations and more important relatively to
men than to women in these personal service industries.
FALLS OF PERSONS
As in the case of injuries resulting from handling objects, injuries
from falls are not concentrated among employees of any single occupation but are an important factor in the injury total of many groups.
Injuries to waitresses, and to a less extent to waiters, are so largely
caused by falls that special attention should be drawn to this fact.
The percent of injuries to waiters and waitresses caused by falls was
as follows:
Males
Hotels___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ __ __ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ 29. 0
Restaurants _________ ________________ _________ 21. 2
Females
49. 2
31. 0
Injuries to clerks a're in considerable proportion injuries resulting
from falls. The percentages follow. 14
Males
Rote~- - ---- -- --- - ~--- -- - - - ----------------- 2a 7
Restaurants ______ __ _____ ___ __ ____ '-_ __________ 14. 0
Females
42. 9
20. 1
u The 1 male barber-shop clerk reported was injured by falling; 1 of the 4 female beauty-shop clerks
reported was so injured.
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DATA AS TO PERSONS INJURED
19
To complete the picture of injuries in restaurants and hotels resulting from falls, the following occupations must be considered:
Restaurant foremen, superintendents, and managers (male), 23.8
percent of whom were injured by falling; hotel carpenters and painters (male), 21.9 percent of whom were so injured; and hotel servants
(female), 22.4 percent of whom were so injured.
While not so high percentages of laborers' injuries resulted from
falls, they were a large part of the total of falls in each industry but
laundries. The percent falls of laborers were of all falls in restaurants
and hotels is as follows: 15
Hotels_ ____________ __ __ _____ ___________ ____
Restaurants _______________ ______ -,-__ ________
Males
Females
32. 1
45. 0
20. 9
25. 6
In laundries, where falls were a less important part of the injury
problem than in restaurants, hotels, and households, over 20 percent
of the injuries of engineers and firemen were due to falls, as were 17
percent of those to male foremen and superintendents. Less than
15 percent of injured laundry workers, either male or female, were
hurt by falling.
About half of the female household workers injured by falls were
servants. One-third of all servants' injuries were caused by falls.
STEPPING ON OR STRIKING AGAINST OBJE.CTS
Injuries resulting from stepping on or striking against objects
ranked second to machinery in the case of female laundry workers.
Over 21 percent of their injuries, in contrast to about 14 percent of
male laundry workers' injuries, were the result of such accidents.
In restaurants, female laborers had 40 percent of the injuries to
women, and male laborers had 54 percent of the injuries to men,
from these causes. Over 10 percent of the injuries in restaurants in
the following occupations were attributed to stepping on or striking
aginst objects.
Males- Clerks; foremen, superintendents, and managers; helpers; laborers;
waiters.
Females- Clerks, helpers, laborers, waitresses.
The percentage of waiters and waitresses among all injured in this
cause class was much lower in hotels than in restaurants.
Hotels_____ ________________ _______ __ _______
Restaurants _____ ___________________________ _
Waiters
Waitresses
9. 5
18. 0
10. 5
35. 9
Almost 30 percent of the injuries to women servants in hotels
were the result of stepping on or striking against objects. Close to
50 percent of all such injuries to women hotel employees were to
servants. About 40 percent of such accidents to male hotel employees
were to laborers. In three occupation groups of males-carpenters
and painters, clerks, and helpers-not far from 20 percent of the
injuries were due to these causes.
Nine of the 16 male household employees who were injured by
stepping on or striking against objects were laborers; 5 of the 8
female household employees so injured were servants.
16 Over 50 percent of the male and 35 percent of the female household employees injured by falls were
laborers; 2 of the 5 men injured by falls in barber shops were laborers.
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20
INJURIES IN PERSONAL SERVICE OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
In beauty parlors and barber shops most of the injured were
operators.
HAND TOOLS
In two laundry occupations, both male, hand tools were the cause
of as much as 10 percent of the total injuries. These were engineers
and firemen and the supervisory group, foremen and superintendents.
Hand tools caused about 2 percent of the injuries to female laundry
workers.
Hand tools were an important source of injury in restaurants and
especially so to the following male occupations: Butchers, chefs,
clerks, superintendents and managers, helpers, laborers, and waiters.
Female restaurant clerks, helpers, laborers, and waitresses all
suffered over 10 percent of their injuries from the use of hand tools.
In the case of helpers this cause was more important than any other,
and over 26 percent of helpers' injuries were so classed.
In hotels, as in restaurants, over 25 percent of the injuries to male
chefs and stewards were caused by hand tools, and this was an important cause of injury to stationary engineers, stationary firemen,
helpers, and laborers. Among female employees injured by hand
tools about 67 percent were classed as laborers;
Hand tools were not an important cause of injury to servants in
households, but caused a considerable proportion of the injuries to
household employees classed as laborers, both male and female.
HoT, CORROSIVE, AND PoisoNous SuBsTANCEs
Of the injuries to male laundry workers (ironers, mangle operators,
and so forth) about 15 percent were due to hot, corrosive, or poisonous
substances. Only 6 percent of the injuries to female employees in
this occupation group were so reported. About 20 percent of those
to engineers and firemen were from this cause.
In restaurants slightly over 20 percent of the total injuries of male
chefs and of female laborers were due to hot, corrosive, or poisonous
substances. Laborers and waitresses together constituted 82 percent of all females so injured. Waiters, as compared to waitresses,
had only slightly more than half as large a proportion of injuries from
this cause.
In hotels, as in restaurants, these substances were second only to
hand tools in causing injuries to chefs. Among almost 850 females
injured in hotels this was reported as the cause of injury in about 100
cases. Almost two-fifths of the injured were waitresses and one-third
were laborers. About one-fifth of the waitresses, as compared to less
than one-tenth of the waiters, were injured by such substances.
Among female barber- and beauty-shop operators, 4 of the 29
injuries resulted from substances of this class. Two other such
injuries were reported, one to a clerk and one in an occupation not
specified.
Among 104 female and 181 male household employees, 12 and 7,
respectively, fall in this class of injuries. Six of the women were
servants, five were laborers. Six of the men were laborers, one was a
servant.
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DATA AS TO PERSONS INJURED
21
OTHER CAUSES
The fact that over 80 percent of the motor-vehicle injuries in laundries were to chauffeurs needs no explanation. The number of
injuries to females from hand trucks in laundries is notable, particularly because such injuries are entirely preventable. Of the 24 cases
of injury reported as caused by hand trucks, 17 were to the ~roup
"laundry workers." These 17 comprise 4 percent of all injuries to
females in this occupational group. One other was to an inspector, one
to a clerk. In the other cases occupation was not specified. Hand
trucks were also a much too frequent source of injury to male restaurant and hotel laborers and waiters.
Electricity caused the injury of 5 females and 1 male in laundries.
Three of the women and the man were in the "laundry workers" group.
Four of the 11 injured by electricity in restaurants were waiters and
1 a waitress. Of the 21 injured by electricity in hotels, 4 were female
servants, 3 were male electricians, and the others were scattered over
many occupations.
Falling objects injured 10 females and 4 males who were laundry
workers. Other occupations in which falling objects were important
were male and female laborers in restaurants, hotels, and households,
and waiters and waitresses in restaurants.
Explosions and explosives were the cause of injury in several occupations. The 10 injuries from this cause in restaurants were reported
for a baker (male), 6 laborers (4 m ale and 2 female), a male supervisor,
a male helper, and a waitress. Two cases reported in households
affected a laborer and a gardener, both males.
Occupational diseases caused injuries to males and females in the
following specified occupations:
Females
Males
Laundries and dry cleaners:
Laundry workers _______
2
Chauffeurs__ ___________
3
Hotels:
Laborers________ ___ ___
8
Painters____ ___ ___ _____
2
Stationary engineers _ _ __
1
Clerks____ __________ ___
1
Restaurants:
Laborers_____ ____ ___ __
8
Waiters _____ ____ __ ____
3
Butchers____ __________
1
Superintendents________
1
Barber and beauty shops:
Operators_ _____________
2
Superintendents_____ ___
1
Households __________ ___ ______ _
Laundry workers_ ___ ___ ___
2
Laborers_ __ ______ __ ___ ___
Servants_________ ____ ___ _
1
2
Laborers ______ ___________
Waitresses________________
Bakers_ ____ ______________
9
2
1
Operators ______ ___ _______
4
Servants ___ __ __ ___ ___ __ __
1
SUMMARY BY OccUPATION
The purpose of the following list is to summarize briefly the outstanding cases affecting each important occupational group. It gives
the main occupational groups in order of size in each industry, with
the le~ding causes of injury listed in order of their importance.
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22
INJURIES IN PERSONAL SERVICE OCCUPATIONS IN OHIO
Females
Males
Occupation
Industry
Laundries and
dry cleaners.
Chauffeurs.
Workers.
Hotels.
Laborers.
Restaurants.
Laborers.
Waiters.
Operators.
Barber and
beauty shops.
Households.
Laborers.
Cause
Occupation
Cause
Motor vehicles. Workers
Machinery.
(mangle opMachinery.
erator, ironer, and so
forth).
Handling obHandling ob- Laborers.
jects.
jects.
Stepping on
Servants.
or striking
against objects.
Handling objects.
Falls.
Waitresses.
Falls.
Handling ob- Waitresses.
Falls.
jects.
Laborers.
Handling obHandling objects.
jects.
Falls.
Handling ob- Operators.
Handling objects.
jects.
Stepping on
or striking
against objects.
Handling ob- Laborers.
Handling ohjects.
jects.
Falls.
Falls.
Servants.
Falls.
Wages.
Wage is of first importance to injured workers. It measures the
amount of their compensation, and a small wage limits their ability
to save for such emergency. Table 8 sets forth the weekly wages of
these injured workers in the year 1932 and shows that the majority of
injured women earned very little, a condition that was even more
pronounced in 1933. The following analysis is based on the data in
table 8 and similar figures for 1933 not published here.
In 1932 less than $15 a week was earned by from 73.9 percent of
injured females in hotels to 81.8 percent of those in laundries. Laundry work was the most poorly paid occupation for these women. The
few household employees reported were somewhat better paid than
other service groups, but this may be chiefly accounted for by underreporting, since it must be remembered that, in general, only those
are covered by the law who work for persons having three or more
household employees, an extremely small part of the total. In 1933
the proportion of females receiving less than $15 ranged from 71.2
percent in housholds to 93.1 percent in laundries, and had increased
in hotels to 79.1 percent from 73.9 percent in this industry in 1932.
The percentage receiving under $15 a week was 75.5 for restaurants
in 1932 but increased to 88.1 percent in such establishments in 1933.
In each industry in 1933 more than half the women receiving less than
$15 received less than $10. As much as $40 a week was earned by
five women in 1932 and by four in 1933, most of these being hotel
employees.
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DA'l'A AS TO PERSONS INJURED
23
From the standpoint of earnings, injured men were in a much better
position than women were to meet such an emergency, and their
compensation was far more adequate. Even so, very considerable
numbers of men were in the low-wage levels, and the proportions
receiving less than $15 a week and less than $10 a week had greatly
increased in 1933. In the case of laundry employees, the number earning below $10 a week increased from less than 2 percent in 1932 to more
than 8 percent in 1933.
Though the proportions of women who were poorly paid were larger
in laundries than in any other of these industries, the opposite was the
case with men. Fewer employees in laundries than in any other
reported group were in the lowest wage classes of injured men. Larger
proportions of the restaurant workers than of any other group of
employees were in the most poorly paid classes of men. Injured male
household employees received somewhat better wages than any but
laundry employees. In 1932, 6 percent of the males injured in household employment earned $50 or more weekly, but none received so
much as $45 a week in 1933.
TABLE
8.-Weekly wages of employees at time of injury, 1932
Industry
Males:
Laundries and dry cleaners ____ _
Hotels ____ __ _________ __ _____ ____
Restaurants ___ ___ ________ ____ __
Barber and beauty shops ___ ____
Households _____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Females:
Laundries and dry cleaners ____ _
Hotels _________ ___ __ ___ _________
Restaurants __ ___ ___ ___________ _
Barber and beauty shops ______ _
Households _____________________
1
Number
with
wages reported
346
577
926
16
Percent whose week's wages wereLess than
$10
$10, less
than $15
$15, less
than $20
$20, less
than $30
1. 7
12. 1
13. 3
9. 5
25.8
33. 2
14. 2
20.3
21.9
37. 6
21.3
21. 7
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
37. 0
20.5
9. 9
83
6. 0
18. 1
21. 7
36.1
18. 1
198
291
583
17
40
37. 4
27.1
29. 0
44. 4
15. 2
13. 7
16. 8
3. 0
7.9
7.0
----------4.5
(1)
(1)
Not corr:.puted; base less than 50.
0
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
(1)
$30 and
more
46. 7
46. 5
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
.7
-· --------(1)
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