SURVEILLANCE

Outputs: Topic Pages

NIOSH topic pages provide access to a broad range of Web-based information on an occupational safety and health subject. Typically, topic pages contain introductory material and links to NIOSH publications and other resources related to the subject matter.

Topics that reflect the outputs from the NIOSH Surveillance Program include:

Lead and The Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance Program (ABLES)
The ABLES program is a State-based surveillance program of laboratory-reported adult blood lead levels. This NIOSH topic provides data and information on lead, and our efforts to build state capacity to initiate, expand, or improve adult blood lead surveillance programs that can accurately measure trends in adult blood lead levels and that can effectively intervene to prevent lead over-exposures. See also: NIOSH Topic Page: Lead

Mining Statistics
The NIOSH's Pittsburgh and Spokane Research Laboratories are involved in the ongoing collection, analysis, and interpretation of safety and health data related to mining occupations in order to report on the overall incidence, prevalence, and significance of mining occupational safety and health problems. Reports on trends in incidence of mining-related fatalities, morbidity, and traumatic injury are prepared. Involvement includes the participation and coordination of research projects and institute-wide surveillance initiatives.

Occupational Respiratory Disease Surveillance
This NIOSH topic provides data and information on occupational respiratory disease surveillance, which encompasses the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and dissemination of health and hazard data to monitor the extent and severity of occupationally related lung disease and workplace exposures for use in public health education and in disease prevention. This NIOSH topic also includes information about occupational respiratory disease medical screening and monitoring—the systematic evaluation of exposed workers to detect potential health problems at an early stage and to facilitate action to prevent the development or progression of occupationally related respiratory disease.

Pesticide Illness & Injury Surveillance
Surveillance for occupational pesticide-related illness and injury is designed to protect workers by determining the magnitude and underlying causes of over-exposure to pesticides in the workplace. Surveillance also serves as an early warning system of any harmful effects not detected by manufacturer testing of pesticides. This topic page provides data and information on our efforts to build and maintain occupational pesticide illness and injury surveillance capacity within State health departments.

Spirometry in the Occupational Setting
This NIOSH page includes information on spirometry training and monitoring programs. Spirometry plays an important role in an occupational respiratory health surveillance program. It can assist the health professional by determining if a worker demonstrates a specific pattern of respiratory impairment and can help to assess the effectiveness of measures implemented to protect the individual worker. In addition, results from defined groups of workers can be evaluated in relation to potential workplace hazards.

Traumatic Occupational Injuries
Acute trauma at work is a leading cause of death and disability among U.S. workers. Trauma is defined as "an injury or wound to a living body caused by the application of external force or violence." Acute trauma can occur with the sudden, one-time application of force or violence that causes immediate damage to a living body. This topic page provides data and information on NIOSH efforts to identify and conduct research on problems in traumatic injury research. Surveillance activities include the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data on injuries, hazards, and exposures for identifying potential risk factors for further research, and for prevention planning and intervention evaluation (from Traumatic Occupational Injury Research Needs and Priorities: A Report by the NORA Traumatic Injury Team, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 98-134).