Colorado Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance

Details

• Personal Author:
  Van Dyke M
• Description:
  Colorado shares the large U.S. burden of occupational illnesses and injuries. As compared to averages for all U.S. workers, Analyses completed in 2009 indicated that Colorado had a higher rate of fatalities and pesticide poisoning as well as an employment base that encompassed some of the nation's highest risk industries, including mining, construction, and agriculture. Based on these analyses and others, it was recognized that a strong occupational surveillance program was needed to collect baseline data, monitor trends, respond to occupational health threats and prioritize occupational health issues that are specific to Colorado. The purpose of this cooperative agreement was to establish a fundamental, state-based occupational health surveillance program to collect, analyze, and interpret surveillance data and information to promote occupational health and safety in Colorado. This program relied on existing data sources in state and federal public health and labor agencies, from public and private healthcare providers and from workers compensation insurers to create a single repository of valid, reliable and useful occupational safety and health information. The program supported public health in Colorado by providing surveillance data about occupational injuries, illnesses, and exposures in Colorado to influence policy and intervention efforts. Through this cooperative agreement, Colorado was able to establish an effective and sustainable occupational health surveillance program. Highlights of the accomplishments during this funding period included: 1.For the first time, we generated and reported Colorado's Occupational Health Indicator (OHI) data to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for 17 of the 20 (or later 22) standardized indicators including data from 2008-2012. 2. We successfully integrated occupational health into public health through a number of channels including the use of occupational data in community health profiles, adding questions on industry and occupation to the major adult public health survey (BRFSS) in Colorado, and the use of county-level occupational health data to inform public health planning. 3. We developed a number of partnerships and collaborations to 1) improve surveillance activities at the health department (Colorado Surveillance Advisory Committee), 2) assist in the development of technical guidelines for high risk industries (Marijuana Industry Occupational Health and Safety Workgroup), 4) provide occupational health educational activities for high risk industries (Worksafe Colorado). 4. The capacity provided by this agreement allowed us to provide technical and investigative assistance for Colorado employers on issues including an occupational infectious disease outbreak, a cluster of unusual respiratory diseases among spa workers, and several contentious indoor air quality problems. 5. Our outreach and dissemination activities improved the occupational health knowledge of hundreds of Colorado citizens and occupational health professionals through more than 53 presentations, 21 non peer-reviewed publications, and three peer-reviewed publications. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Construction Industry Demography Environmental Exposure Health Promotion Insecticides Mining Morbidity Mortality Occupational Health Poisoning Public Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety

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• Keywords:
  Construction Demographic Characteristics Exposure Levels Health Programs Injuries Morbidity Rates Mortality Data Pesticides Poisons Public Health Risk Factors Safety Programs Surveillance Programs

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• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Final Cooperative Agreement Report
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-20
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20047873
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2016-103231
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U60-OH-009842, 2015 Sep; :1-20
• Contact Point Address:
  Mike Van Dyke, Ph.D., CIH (PI), Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246
• Email:
  Mike.vandyke@state.co.us
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• Performing Organization:
  Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20100701
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20150630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d868f2cc69976a496f52fd5d0935c9ced2dd4521f1e1659777e6000329305613a6b42c95411ee50414ad1fc4bf5b63644910feb6abef70d4c421c484907d5fc0
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218632/cdc_218632_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 183.40 KB ]