Help with Queries

How to:

How to select query parameters

The default selection for variables is All, except for Treatment Year, which defaults to the most current year of data available. Running a query without selecting parameters other than the defaults will produce an estimate that is the total of all injury cases for all workers for the most recent data year. Selecting specific parameters will produce an estimate for a narrower subset. For example, selecting Sex = Female will return the number of female workers, and selecting Event = 24* Pedestrian vehicular incident will return the number of cases in which pedestrians were injured by vehicles. Selecting Event = 111* Intentional injury by other person and  Source = 5771 Robber will produce the number of assaults by robbers.

To select specific query parameters:

  • Click on the Expand Options button in any of the query parameter boxes located under "Step 1: Select query parameters" to display available parameters.
  • Select parameters by clicking on your choices. In the Time Period section, you can select only one Treatment Year per query, but you may choose multiple months or quarters in Treatment Month(s) by holding the Shift key while clicking on the first and last items of a continuous sequence, or by holding the Ctrl key while clicking on individual parameters to select non-adjacent items. Do the same to select multiple parameters in Demographics and Nature of Injury. To select multiple parameters in Incident Characteristics, click to check the boxes that apply.
TIP: Expanded query parameter boxes will automatically collapse when you open a different parameter box unless you select differently. To keep a box expanded when you open another, click on the button at the top left of the parameter box to lock the box in expanded view. Click on the button to unlock the box and allow it to collapse.
TIP: Clicking on a symbol in the query system will activate a pop-up text box with more information about that selection. To close the box, click the X in the upper right corner.
TIP: Clicking on a variable name will take you to that variable’s Technical Information entry for more details.
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How to select Incident Characteristics parameters

The BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) for Event, Source, and Secondary Source is arranged by general divisions of single-digit codes that narrow into more specific categories with two-, three-, and four-digit codes. Aggregate categories, which are identified by asterisks after the code digits (such as 2* or 63*), include all subcategories and individual codes listed below the aggregate category.

Data years 1998-2011 use OIICS v1.01, and data years 2012 and onward use v. 2.01. The query system defaults to the use of the appropriate OIICS version based on the year of data selected for analysis. There is a break in series between the versions, and users should not compare Event, Source, and Secondary Source results between years that use different versions (e.g., 2011 and 2012).

For data years 1998-2017, the Event, Source, and Secondary Source for each case was manually coded to the most specific level of detail (two-, three-, or four-digit OIICS codes) possible by a trained coder.

Starting with data year 2018, the Event, Source, and Secondary Source codes are assigned two-digit OIICS codes. Furthermore, the data for 2018 forward are coded using a machine-learning model. The model is trained to predict these codes based on the narrative description of the injury and the worker's age and sex. Codes that do not meet specified probability scores, reflecting the certainty at which a code was assigned, are flagged for review by a trained coder.

Note: It is important to be familiar with OIICS prior to reporting the results from this system. See Technical Info for more details.
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To view the OIICS code tree

  • Click on the Select button to display the OIICS code tree.
  • Click on the Plus button to expand the tree to see more detailed code branches.
  • Click on the Minus button to hide the more detailed branches. Previously expanded branches automatically collapse when a new branch expands.
  • Click on the View button to see a detailed list of all codes selected.
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To search for a specific code

  • Open the Search function by clicking on the Search button in the upper right of the code tree window.
  • To search by keyword, enter a word or text string into the Search box to find specific codes within the tree that contain the same words or text. To search by code, enter the code number.
  • Matches appear in a clickable list below the Search box. Click on an item to move to that section of the tree.
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To select a category or individual code

  • Click on an open box to select a category or an individual code. A hash box with a single line through it indicates a category that is partially or fully selected. An box with an X in it indicates an individually selected code.
TIP: The hash mark indicates that some or all codes in that branch have been selected. Only one branch within a division is visible at a time. Remember what you select and verify your selections in the results output table.
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To undo selections

  • Click on the box with an X in it button to undo an individual code selection.
  • Click on the clear button to undo all selections on that particular code branch.

To view a selected code or codes

  • Click on the View button to display the specific code or codes selected for your query.
  • To modify your selections, click on the Select button to return to the code tree window.

To collapse the code tree

  • Click on the Hide button to close branches displaying code categories and individual codes.
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How to select report variables

Use the "Step 2: Select Report Variables" section pull-down lists to produce a table of estimates for each subcategory within a parameter. You may select up to two categories by using Row Variable (1-Major Group) and Row Variable (2-Minor Group). The results table will have a row for each estimate by subcategory and a final row with the query total.

Note: The Select Report Variables feature produces tables similar to the common CROSS-TAB output from many statistical programs. If Sex was selected as the first category, the results table would have estimates for males, females, and all workers (grand total). If, in addition, Age Group was selected as the second category, the results table would have estimates for males by age group with a subtotal for males and similar estimates for females. If Age Group was the first option selected and Sex the second option, the estimates would be the same as in the preceding table, but the order of estimates would be rearranged. There is no required order for selecting categories. Similarly, either Row Variable can be selected without specifying a category for the other Row Variable.
Tip: The blank, color-coded table to the right of the Report Variable drop-down lists shows how results will be displayed if two row variables are selected.
Caution: Selecting Event, Source, or Secondary Source will produce very lengthy tables if specific Event, Source, or Secondary Source query parameters are not selected. Consequently, the system may be very slow to return results.
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How to make another query

There are three options for navigating back to the query page from the results page:

  1. Click on the Modify Query button. This will preserve your most recent query parameters when you return to the query page.
  2. Click on the << Back button. Depending on your browser setup, your previous parameter selections may or may not be retained.
  3. Use the Back button on your web browser. Depending on your browser setup, your previous parameter selections may or may not be retained.
Tip: To reset query parameters to the default values, click on the Clear Selections button found to the right of "Step 1: Select query parameters" at the top of the query screen.
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How to troubleshoot a query

Problem: Not all subcategories are displayed when specifying variables using the Select Report Variables (e.g., you selected the variable Sex, but your results only list males).
  • You probably restricted results by choosing an individual parameter such as Sex = Male and then used Row Variables = Sex in the current query or a previous query (variables selected in the Select Report Variable section do not override selected individual parameters that restrict the query). Check all query parameters selected.
  • Subcategories with a value of zero are not displayed. Your query may have returned no results.
Problem: You received a "Timeout" instead of a results table.
  • The query system may have been experiencing heavy traffic. Try the query again now or at another time of day.
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How to contact us

If you have questions about Work-RISQS, or if you wish to inquire about a query you are unable to run using Work-RISQS, please contact:

Suzanne Marsh
Surveillance and Field Investigations Branch
Division of Safety Research
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
304-285-6009
smm2@cdc.gov
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Page last reviewed: December 9, 2023
Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Division of Safety Research