: Occupational injuries are a significant public health problem in the U.S. and in Oklahoma. Currently, occupational surveillance efforts in Oklahoma and across the U.S. are fragmented and inconsistent. The Oklahoma Occupational Safety and Health Surveillance program will establish a fundamental surveillance system to collect statewide data on occupational hazards, diseases, injuries, and deaths. The long term objectives of the Oklahoma Occupational Safety and Health Surveillance program are to 1) collect and analyze standardized indicators on occupational health conditions in order to determine the magnitude and trends of occupational hazards, diseases, injuries, and deaths in Oklahoma; and 2) develop, implement, and evaluate occupational injury and illness prevention programs in Oklahoma.
The specific aims of this proposal are to 1) collect statewide occupational health indicator data; 2) establish a scientific advisory committee to provide input on collecting and disseminating data on occupational health conditions and establishing prevention programs; 3) analyze occupational health indicator data and provide data to NIOSH and other partners/stakeholders; 4) participate in all meetings of the Consortium of Occupational State-based Surveillance and the Coordination Committee; and 5) prepare a performance review of the surveillance program. Data on all 13 health conditions specified in the program announcement will be collected from existing databases according to the guidelines developed by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and NIOSH to facilitate comparisons between states. Based on input from the scientific advisory committee and NIOSH, in future years the surveillance system will be expanded, special studies conducted, prevention programs initiated, and publications prepared. Establishing the Oklahoma Occupational Safety and Health Surveillance program will be the first step towards the reduction of these adverse occupational health conditions in Oklahoma. ? ? ?
