Occupational Health and Injury Surveillance in Louisiana

PAR-20-312: State Occupational Safety and Health Surveillance Louisiana Occupational Health and Injury Surveillance Program Project Summary/Abstract Over the past 16 years a strong occupational health surveillance program has been established in Louisiana with the long-term objective of improving the health and well-being of Louisiana workers. Housed in the Louisiana Department of Health, the Louisiana Occupational Health & Injury Surveillance Program (Occupational Health Program) aims to strengthen and expand its occupational health surveillance capacity through an Expanded Program consisting of three complementary surveillance programs that will share staff, data sources, funding, and other resources. The Enhanced Fundamental Program will compile, analyze, and interpret occupational health surveillance data from multiple data sources to identify trends and high-risk occupations and industries; utilize health informatics to expand program capacity to perform occupational health surveillance; identify, evaluate and respond to emerging and emergent occupational issues; and identify and develop new data sources. The Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program will develop, implement, and maintain a multi-source system of work-related injury fatalities; perform select case-based investigations to identify fatality risks; and develop recommendations to control or eliminate risks. The Occupational Heat-Related Illness (HRI) Prevention Program will expand and maintain a multi-source occupational HRI surveillance system of heat-related morbidity and mortality data; conduct case follow-back investigations to capture exposure and work-related information; develop linkages between climate and health data in partnership with climate agencies, and educate and train targeted audiences through a diverse and established state-wide partner network. All three Occupational Health Program components will engage and collaborate with a diverse range of local and state partners and stakeholders to develop procedures, policies, recommendations and practices that protect workers; present findings in a variety of formats using various communication channels; and implement an evaluation plan to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of program activities and efforts.