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Occupational Health Indicators in Wyoming, 2001 – 2005 Mulloy KB 1, Stinson KS 1,Boudreau Y 2, Newman LS 1, Helmkamp J 2 1 – Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center, Colorado School of Public Health 2 – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Background Each year thousands of Wyoming (WY) workers are affected by preventable work-related exposure, illness, and injuries Occupational health surveillance plays a critical role in identifying problems, targeting interventions and evaluating programs to reduce occupational injury and illness morbidity and mortality Currently no comprehensive occupational health surveillance system exists in WY A baseline health status evaluation of workers in WY is needed to determine a state-based plan for surveillance, intervention, and prevention Methods A working group from Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center (MAP ERC) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) was established The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Occupational Health Indicators: A Guide for Tracking Occupational Health Conditions and Their Determinants was used with the goals of defining areas of occupational morbidity and mortality and building capacity for occupational health surveillance in WY Occupational Health Indicators describe worker demographics, measures of work-related health, and factors that influence worker health Of the 19 indicators, 12 report injury and illness resulting from occupational hazards; 3 describe potential workplace health and safety hazards; 2 examine intervention activities; 1 measures harmful exposures in the workplace; and 1 describes the socio-economic impacts of work-related injuries and illnesses A core set of data was abstracted from multiple existing state and national datasets for the years 2001-2005 to describe worker demographics, measures of work-related health and factors that influence worker health. For data presented in this abstract, we use the Occupational Health Indicators (OHI) and Data Sources as shown in Bold Occupational Health Indicators Employment demographics and characteristics 1.Non-fatal injuries and illnesses 2.Work-related hospitalizations 3.Fatal work-related injuries 4.Amputations reported by employers 5.Amputations identified in state workers’ compensation systems 6.Hospitalizations for work-related burns 7.Musculoskeletal disorders reported by employers 8.Carpal tunnel syndrome cases identified in state workers’ compensation systems 9.Pneumoconiosis hospitalizations 10. Pneumoconiosis mortality 11. Acute work-related pesticide poisonings reported to poison control centers 12. Incidence of malignant mesothelioma 13. Elevated blood lead levels among adults 14. Workers employed in industries with high risk for occupational morbidity 15. Workers employed in occupations with high risk of occupational morbidity 16. Workers in occupations and industries with high risk for occupational mortality 17. Occupational health and safety professionals 18. OSHA enforcement activities 19. Workers’ compensation awards Data Sources American Association of Poison Control Centers BLS Current Population Survey BLS Geographic Profiles of Employment and Unemployment BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Bureau of the Census County Business Patterns Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries National Academy of Social Insurance NIOSH Adult Blood Level Epidemiology and Surveillance Program OSHA Wyoming Cancer Registry Wyoming Department of Employment Wyoming Department of Health Wyoming Department of Health, Vital Records Program Wyoming Department of Labor, Division of Workers’ Compensation Employment Demographic Profile More than 260,000 civilian workers between the ages of 16 and 64 per year were employed in WY for the years 2001-2005 Over half of civilian workers in WY were male; over %95 white; and 4.3% were of Hispanic origin Majority of workers were employed full-time and worked a standard work week of 40 hours or more Approximately 7.6% of workers in WY were self-employed The unemployment rate in WY ranged from 3.9% in 2001 to 3.7% in 2005, with a rate as high as 4.4% in 2003 Industries that employed the most civilian workers in WY included Education/Health Services, Wholesale/Retail Trade, and Construction; occupational groups that employed the most civilian workers included Professional Occupations, and Management and Business Operations Work-Related Fatalities The average annual rate of fatal work-related injuries in WY was 14.9 per 100,000 workers compared to 4.1 for the US Work-related injury fatality rates in WY were much higher than overall US rates Most fatal work-related injuries in WY and US were attributable to transportation incidents 29% of workers in WY were employed in industries at a high risk for occupational mortality, compared to 14% of US workers 21% of workers in WY were employed in occupations at high risk for occupational mortality, compared to 10% of US workers Non-Fatal Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses The average annual rate of non-fatal work-related injury or illness among WY workers was 5.7% compared to 4.9% of US workers Approximately 41% of all work-related injuries and illnesses in WY involved days away from work compared to 30% of all US work-related injuries and illnesses The average benefit paid per worker covered by Workers’ Compensation per year in 2001 to 2005 ranged from $428 to $500 in WY and $384 to $429 in the US Blood Lead Levels Among Adults The number of WY adults with elevated blood lead levels increased significantly between 2002 and 2005, while US rates steadily declined The annual prevalence rate per 100,000 workers in WY grew from 3.5 in 2002 to 15.0 in 2005 compared to US rates decreasing from 8.5 in 2002 to 7.2 in 2005 Work-Related Pesticide Poisonings The average rate of work-related pesticide poisonings reported to Poison Control Centers between 2001 and 2005 in WY was 3.9 per 100,000 workers compared to 1.8 in the US The rate of work-related pesticide poisonings in WY has ranged from 2.2 to 5.8 per 100,000 workers per year between 2001 and 2005 Conclusions Work-related fatalities in WY significantly exceed the national rate for the years 2001-2005 Employment rates in industries and occupations with high risk for occupational mortality in WY are much higher that US rates Both the number of non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses and the average amount of Workers’ Compensation benefit paid per covered worker in WY has been consistently higher than US rates Elevated blood lead level rates in WY have continued to increase significantly, while US rates have gradually decreased The rates of work-related pesticide poisonings in WY were higher compared to overall US rates which have remained stable Limitations Geographic profile data are based on the Current Population Survey, a monthly probability sample of households in the United States — Excluded from geographic profile are workers less than 16 years of age, active-duty military personnel, and inmates in correctional institutions Deaths in the military are included in the number of fatalities but not the rates Number of work-related injuries and illnesses may be underestimated because not all individuals with work-related injuries and illnesses report their case to the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses and only private industry is captured by BLS data Federal employees and selected industries (i.e. agriculture) as well as independent contractors are exempt from filing workers’ compensation claims under state workers’ compensations laws and are not included in this calculation Not all work-related pesticide exposures resulting in illness are reported to poison control centers Future Directions & Updates The MAP ERC published a report “Occupational Health Indicators in Wyoming: A baseline health assessment (2001-2005)” and the report was distributed to major stakeholders in WY. Wyoming formed a collaborative group (Workplace Prevention Task Force) of legislators, industry representatives, state employees and academics, to examine the high workplace fatality rate. Based on a recommendation by the Workplace Prevention TaskForce, Wyoming hired a new Occupational Epidemiologist to examine occupational safety issues in Wyoming, including data, injury prevention and public policy options.