The human and economic costs of occupational injury and illness (Oil) in Washington State are unacceptable. In order to reduce the burden of Oil, state occupational public health programs need to bring together information from research findings, scientific literature, injury and illness data, worker and company activities, and industy practices to inform and educate stakeholders, government officials, and the general public to ensure evidence-based safety and health prevention programs and public policy. Our Oil surveillance program contributes to reducing the incidence of workplace injury and illness in Washington State by providing relevant, timely, accurate public health data and information to those who need to know. Simply, our surveillance program provides information for action. To accomplish these ends we propose the following specific aims for our 'overall' occupational health surveillance program - 1. Identify surveillance, research and prevention opportunities through advisory committee input, occupational injury and illness data, and emerging opportunities for safety and health action. 2. Implement a comprehensive state-based surveillance program addressing traumatic injuries, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, high risk industries for occupational injury and illness, occupational respiratory disease, and hazardous occupational exposures. 3. Develop and use additional data sources for novel approaches to Oil surveillance, including the development of an annual measure of worker self-reported Oil and continuing to maximize use of Washington's unique workers compensation data for surveillance. 4. Influence public policy, the safety and health actions of others, and prevent workplace injury and illness through the use of state-based occupational injury and illness data, surveillance and research program outputs. 5. Grow partnerships with our academic, state and federal partners to reduce Oil.
Through the systematic collection and analysis of workplace hazard, injury and illness data, the Washington Occupational Injury and Illness Surveillance program will provide relevant, timely, accurate public health data and information to those who can prevent hazardous work exposures, and improve the safety and health of Washington workplaces.
