This competitive supplement will fill two critical gaps in the Washington Occupational Surveillance Program (WOSP) - the continuation and enhancement of the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program and the development of targeted injury surveillance in the trucking industry.
The specific aims of the FACE program are to: (1) Maintain and enhance the current program's surveillance system to identify and track traumatic occupational fatalities, (2) Identify modifiable risk factors to focus prevention activities, (3) Investigate fatal incidents in the three NIOSH-defined priority areas and two state priority areas, (4) Develop and disseminate prevention materials, (5) Develop a series of Fatality and Near- Hit Narratives, (6) Evaluate the materials that are developed and disseminated, and (7) Assess the impact of FACE activities for selected target hazards in high-risk industries.
The specific aims of the trucking injury surveillance project are to: (1) Build and maintain partnerships with representatives from both management and labor within the trucking industry, (2) publish a technical report describing injuries, trends, and costs within the trucking industry by sector, (3) Develop and implement a surveillance system to track claims in the trucking industry, with particular focus on six priority conditions: caught in/under/between injuries; falls; struck by/against injuries; motor vehicle crashes; musculoskeletal disorders of the lower extremity; and musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, back, and upper extremity, (4) Develop and implement case follow-up protocols for identifying risk factors and solutions for the priority conditions, (5) Conduct industry-wide surveys of employers and employees to identify hazards and risk factors, needs, and possible solutions, and (6) Identify opportunities for the use of educational materials and other interventions to reduce hazards and injuries within trucking.
The activities outlined in this proposal will result in the translation of information into recommendations and prevention strategies. Additionally, partnerships will be fostered with those that can intervene, with the ultimate goal of preventing occupational morbidity and mortality.
