The Department of Public Health's Occupational Health Unit conducts occupational disease surveillance, intervention, prevention, and education activities in Connecticut, based on physician reports and other data sources. Analysis of surveillance data has led to identification of clusters of occupational diseases in specific work sites and industries, such as silicosis in three Connecticut foundries, industrial mercury poisoning, hypersensitivity pneumonitis in aerospace industries using metal working fluids, clusters of ergonomic disorders in various industries, and a cluster of building related illness in a large office building. Intervention activities are then conducted in conjunction with other agencies.
The Occupational Health Unit is partially funded by grants from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in two ways:
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Conduct adult lead poisoning surveillance through the Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program, and
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Support fundamental capacity for conducting occupational disease surveillance.
The program also has a Memorandum of Understanding with CT's two federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offices for site investigations of companies where workers have highly elevated blood lead levels.
Connecticut Open Data Portal (Occupational Health Indicators)
The following data set presents 24 indicators that describe the occupational health status of the working population of Connecticut. Data from subsequent years will be added as they become available. Connecticut's Open Data initiative was launched in February 2014, with a purpose of providing open access to data in its rawest form, before it has been aggregated and analyzed. New indicator data is published to the Open Data Portal annually which allows easier accessibility of indicator data to public health stakeholders in Connecticut and our partners in other states. This data can be accessed at:
Workplace Hazard Assessment Program
- Workplace Hazard Assessment Program
- When to Request a Workplace Hazard Assessment
- When to Request Help from the OSHA Consultation Program
- When to file a complaint with OSHA
Information for Physicians, Laboratories and Other Health Professionals
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Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program
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CT Occupational Disease Surveillance Enhancement Project " CT Occupational Health Indicators Project
Occupational Health Press Releases & Publications
- Hazards to Communities from Chemical Handling and Storage in Workplaces -Technical Brief
- CT Young Workers Health & Safety Team
- Brazilian Blowout Press Release
- Brazilian Blowout Settles Class Action Lawsuit
- OHSU Toxicology Center Issues Public Alerts
- Brazilian Blowout Solution Contains Formaldehyde - Advisory
- Pratt & Whitney - Investigation of Possible Brain Cancer Cluster
- Occupational Disease in Connecticut - Data for Action
- Occupational Airways Publications (Archived, 1995 - 2003)
- Connecticut Occupational Health e-News (Spring 2004 - Winter 2006)
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Worker Memorial Day (pdf)
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Workplace Eye Injuries (pdf)
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Workplace Burns (pdf)
- Highway Work Zone Visibility (pdf)
- Silica Exposure in Construction Workers (pdf)
- Keeping an Eye on Eye Protection (pdf)
- Bronchiolitis Obliterans fact sheet (pdf)
- Promoting Young Worker Health & Safety (PDF)
- Workplace Fire Safety Top 10 (pdf)
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Safe Application Of Pesticides And Herbicides
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Heat Stress (pdf)
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Test Pit Safety Module for Septic Inspectors (pdf)
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Occupational Safety and Health Planning and Action Network (OSH-Plan) Final Report (pdf)