Nebraska Occupational Safety and Health Surveillance Program

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this project is to establish a Fundamental-Plus occupational health and safety surveillance program for the State of Nebraska, within the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS), the state agency which has general supervision, control, and primary responsibility over matters relating to public health (Neb. Rev. Stat. §81-601). This research will use existing available data and wil identify new data sources in order to collect, analyze, and interpret surveillance data, putting a special emphasis on underserved, high risk groups such as minorities, young workers, older workers, and workers in high risk industries and occupations. We will collect all 21 occupational health indicators which have been identified by the NIOSH-States Occupational Health Surveillance Work Group. These indicators are specific measures of health or risk status (i.e. the occurrence of a health event or of factors associated with that event) among specific working populations. To further enhance surveillance for reportable conditions associated with workplace exposures, we will implement a surveillance system incorporating investigation and analysis of occupational poisoning or illness due to exposures to pesticides, lead, and other chemicals prioritized by our stakeholders. We will generate and communicate information with our partners to guide interventions and develop recommendations for prevention through making referrals, disseminating data and findings, and conducting educational outreach. In addition to surveillance activities, our program will maintain existing relationships and build new collaborations with local, state, and national stakeholders to further integrate occupational health into mainstream public health. An Advisory Committee consisting of state leaders in occupational health and safety will be convened to prioritize program activities and provide input on emerging issues in Nebraska.