California Occupational Health Indicators: Annual Measures of Worker Health and Safety for Years 2014-2019

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cummings, Kristin J. ; Harrison, Robert J. ; Attfield, Kathleen R. ; Beckman, John ; Chan, Elena ; Flattery, Jennifer ; Jackson, Rebecca ; Johnson, Paula ; Le, Amy ; Materna, Barbara L. ; Maffei, Dorothy ; Payne, Susan F. ; Smorodinsky, Svetlana ; Styles, Laura ; Gibb, Kathryn
  More +
• Corporate Authors:
  California Department of Public Health
• Description:
  This report provides important data about the 18 million workers employed in California in 2014-2019, and the key "indicators" or measures of how the work environment affects their health status. There clearly is much more work to be done to reduce the burden and cost to workers, their families, and communities. Among the findings in this report: 451 workers died from injuries sustained on the job (more than one per day). Almost all fatalities can be prevented by comprehensive injury and illness prevention programs. Hispanic/Latino workers continue to be at increased risk of dying on the job. There were almost 380,000 private sector workers who had an injury or illness, more than 119,000 workers who lost work time because of these injuries or illnesses, and nearly 14,000 who were hospitalized. The total burden of work-related injury and illness resulted in over $12 billion paid in workers' compensation benefits. Nearly 40,000 workers had a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) that caused them to miss work, and almost 3,200 filed claims for carpal tunnel syndrome. Many of these injuries are caused by well recognized ergonomic hazards (repetition, excessive force and awkward posture). Over 680 workers suffered a preventable amputation. More than 1 million Californians reported that their asthma was caused or made worse by work. There are many chemicals and dusts that can cause or aggravate asthma, leading to medical visits and costly care. Over 300 Californians were diagnosed with mesothelioma-a legacy of the decades-old hazard of exposure to asbestos dust. Over 1,400 workers had blood lead levels at or above 10 micrograms per deciliter, increasing their risk of kidney and heart disease, high blood pressure, and cognitive damage. The California Department of Public Health's Occupational Health Branch-partnering with industry, labor, academic institutions, health and safety professionals, Cal/OSHA, and many others - strives to reduce hazards in California workplaces and prevent work-related injuries and illnesses. We welcome your collaboration as we move forward together in this effort. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Occupational Health
  • Safety
• Keywords:
  • Public health
  • Surveillance programs
  • Fatalities
  • Injuries
  • Occupations
  • Lost work days
  • Mesothelioma
  • Blood lead levels
  • Musculoskeletal disorders
  • MSD
  More +
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  California ; San Francisco Region OSHA
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  43 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071782
• Citation:
  Richmond, CA: California Department of Public Health, 2025 Apr; :1-43
• Contact Point Address:
  Robert Harrison, MD, MPH, Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Building P, 3rd Floor, Richmond, CA 94804
• Email:
  Robert.harrison@cdph.ca.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  Public Health Institute
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  2005/07/01
• End Date:
  2026/06/30
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/260006/cdc_260006_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 574.03 KB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:564a3593aeb8c9cd0464c91d57e008ee681d669ed2ac385396cfd30b6f6262b5da65281895c0722bd0802c44013542d7a645b0d59574ae3959464cb8ece514b6