Kentucky (KY) ranks as the 14th-worst state for fatal occupational injury rates, and 7th-worst for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses. The overall KY Occupational Safety and Health Surveillance (KOSHS) expanded program KOSHS fundamental. Occupational Health Indicator [OHI], and Fatality Assessment Control and Evaluation [FACE] component programs) focuses on population-based and case-based surveillance of work-related injuries/illnesses in KY, a southeastern HHS Region 4 state.
Specific aims are to perform population-based occupational injury and illness surveillance using 21 NIOSH-recommended OHI, 6 Ky-specific OHI, FACE, and other surveillance data, including new data source evaluation; perform case based occupational injury and illness surveillance through FACE on-site investigations and high adult blood lead level follow-up investigations; conduct epidemiological analyses of work-related injury and illness surveillance & investigation data; establish & maintain partnerships and collaborations that integrate KOSHS results with partners' intervention and outreach activities; participate in the KOSHS advisory committee and attend semiannual grantee meetings; disseminate occupational injury and illness data & research results through annual reports, OHI data submission to NIOSH, newsletters, website postings, NIOSH State-based Occupational Health Clearinghouse, presentations, publications, NIOSH and CDC alerts, MMWR, Workplace Solutions, & social media; & perform a process, impact, & outcome evaluation of the overall KOSHS expanded program. Novel industries and occupations targeted in the KOSHS application include highway incident management & truck transportation injury epidemiology studies & fatality investigations, online truck driver safety training modules, & towing and truck driver tool kits. KOSHS will also have an innovative emphasis on work-related severe traumatic injuries, TBIs, and concussions. Advanced statistical methodologies such as probabilistic data linkage and multiple imputation will be used, and surveillance data quality improvement studies will be performed. Innovative integration of the KOSHS program with NIOSH Total Worker Health(tm) (TWH), Safe Communities, CDC-funded Violence and Injury Prevention Program, and National Safety Council is planned.
This proposed project is relevant to public health by 1) identifying industries, occupations, and worker populations at high risk for work injuries and illnesses; 2) identifying risk factors, trends, and emerging issues; and 3) identifying gaps in and improving occupational injury and illness surveillance systems. When injury prevention knowledge is attained by the worker, injuries will decrease and the economic costs of injuries will decrease because there will be fewer worker compensation claims.
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