Learning objectives:
Learning Objectives: After reading this information sheet, the student/ trainee should be able to;
1. Know what is an occupational health and its indicators
2. Identify trends and patterns of work-related injury, illness, and death
Health and Safety Indicators
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An occupational health and safety indicator is a specific measure of a work-related disease or injury, or a factor associated with occupational health, such as workplace exposures, hazards, or interventions, in a specified population. Indicators can be generated by states to track trends in the occupational health status of the working population. Examples of occupational health indicators include counting the number of work-related deaths and work-related pesticide poisonings.
Why use occupational health and safety indicators?
· Measure baseline health of worker populations
· Identify trends and patterns of work-related injury, illness, and death
· Anticipate early problem areas that deserve attention
· Reduce preventable workplace injuries
· Increase consistency and availability of occupational disease and injury surveillance data
What occupational health indicators are generated?
Most state public health or labor departments calculate the 19 occupational health indicators listed below. Depending on the type of industries and jobs in a state and the availability of data, some states have developed additional indicators to better measure worker health in their state.
Occupational Illnesses and Injuries Combined
Indicator 1: Non-fatal injuries and illnesses reported by employers
Indicator 2: Work-related hospitalizations
Acute and Cumulative Occupational Injuries
Indicator 3: Fatal work-related injuries
Indicator 4: Amputations reported by employers
Indicator 5: Amputations identified in state workers’ compensation systems
Indicator 6: Hospitalizations for work-related burns
Indicator 7: Musculoskeletal disorders reported by employers
Indicator 8: Carpal tunnel syndrome cases identified in state workers’ compensation
systems
Occupational Illnesses
Indicator 9: Pneumoconiosis hospitalizations
Indicator 10: Pneumoconiosis mortality
Indicator 11: Acute work-related pesticide poisonings reported to poison control centers
Indicator 12: Incidence of malignant mesothelioma
Occupational Exposures
Indicator 13: Elevated blood lead levels among adults
Occupational Hazards
Indicator 14: Workers employed in industries with high risk for occupational morbidity
Indicator 15: Workers employed in occupations with high risk for occupational morbidity
Indicator 16: Workers employed in industries and occupations with high risk for occupational mortality
Intervention Resources for Occupational Health
Indicator 17: Occupational safety and health professionals
Indicator 18: Occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) enforcement
activities
Socioeconomic Impact of Occupational Illnesses and Injuries
Indicator 19: Workers’ compensation awards
Common health and safety indicators can be divided into two – frequency rates and incidence rates. So what’s the difference?
A frequency rate is an expression of how many events happened over a given period of time by a standardized number of hours worked. An incidence rate is the number of events that happened over a given period time by a standardized number of employees (usually lower than the standardized number of hours).
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