More than four million people age 16 years and older make up Georgia’s workforce. Since almost half of a worker’s lifetime is spent at work or commuting, the workplace is an important determinant of a person’s health. Some workers are employed in occupations or industries that may put them at higher risk of work-related injuries or illnesses or being exposed to harmful substances. Many of these work-related injuries and illnesses are preventable. The Georgia Department of Public Health Occupational Health Surveillance Program monitors occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in the state, identifies groups at increased risk, and provides data to target prevention efforts. This surveillance system is based on the 22 indicators for occupational health that have been recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE). These indicators serve as baseline measures of the occupational health status of a state’s workforce and will allow states to track trends and guide prevention and intervention efforts.
Mission
To promote the health and safety of Georgia workers by:
- Collecting information about work-related injuries, illnesses, and hazards in Georgia
- Raising public awareness of workplace risks, targeting intervention activities, and guiding the development of prevention programs and policies
- Educating workers and employers to address identified occupational health and safety problems
- Integrating occupational health into ongoing public health practice at the state and local levels
Goals
- Collect, analyze, and report data on occupational illnesses, injuries, and related factors in Georgia based on the recommended NIOSH-CSTE Occupational Health Indicators
- Establish and maintain an Advisory Committee, representing partner organizations and stakeholders, to assess the surveillance system and the data it provides, and to make recommendations that will enhance its impact and use
- Participate fully in NIOSH’s Consortium of Occupational State-based Surveillance (COSS), including regular meeting attendance and timely reporting of Georgia data to multi-state summaries and reports
Surveillance Reports
Georgia Occupational Health Surveillance Report, 2008-2012 
--This report estimates the burden of work-related injuries and illnesses and gives meausures of occupational health in Georgia during 2008-2012
Georgia Occupational Health Surveillance Report, 2006-2009
--This report estimates the burden of work-related injuries and illnesses and gives baseline measures of occupational health in Georgia during 2006-2009
Data Summaries
Elevated Blood Lead Levels (BLLs) among Georgia Adults, 2010-2015
--Summarizes the burden of elevated BLLs among persons aged 16 years and older in Georgia
2014 Georgia Occupational Health Indicators: Demographics and Summary Tables
--Data summary tables of employment demographics and the 24 recommended occupational health indicators
2013 Georgia Occupational Health Indicators: Demographics and Summary Tables
--Data summary tables of employment demographics and the recommended occupational health indicators
2013 Georgia Occupational Health Indicators: A Look At Key Trends
--Summary of key annual trends among some of the occupational health indicators of special interest in Georgia
--Summarizes the extent to which Georgia schools have developed, implemented and enforced a policy that creates a totally tobacco-free environment for faculty/staff
Georgia Occupational Health Surveillance Report Executive Summary, 2008-2012
--Summary of major findings from the Georgia Occupational Health Surveillance Report, 2008-2012
2012 Georgia Occupational Health Indicators: Demographics and Summary Tables
--Data summary tables of employment demographics and the 22 recommended occupational health indicators
2012 Georgia Occupational Health Indicators: A Look at Key Trends
--Summary of key annual trends among some of the occupational health indicators of special interest in Georgia
Georgia State-Specific Occupational Health Indicators: Arthritis and Secondhand Smoke Exposure
--Summary of arthritis among employees during 2013 and workplace secondhand smoke exposure during 2014 in Georgia
Georgia Work-related Pesticide Exposures, 2006-2011
--This data summary characterizes work-related pesticide-associated illnesses and injuries reported in Georgia during 2006-2011
Georgia Occupational Health Surveillance Report Executive Summary 2006-2009
--Summary of major findings from the Georgia Occupational Health Surveillance Report, 2006-2009
Related Sites and Documents
List of Occupational Health Indicators
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Occupational Health Program Area http://www.cste.org/group/OHOverview
State Occupational Health Websites http://www.cste.org/group/OHWebsites
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- Programs http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs.html
- Surveillance http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/surveillance/survpubs.html
- Publications http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pubs/default.html
Georgia Tech Occupational Safety and Health Program http://www.oshainfo.gatech.edu/index.html
Page last updated 09/13/18