Developing an occupational health surveillance needs assessment in NH: A stakeholder driven process

In the face of meager resources for occupational health surveillance in New Hampshire, we have coalesced key occupational health stakeholders in the state to initiate a collaborative approach to establish a minimum occupational health surveillance program. This included developing a systematic needs assessment to inventory existing data sources and identify information gaps.

Several meetings with the newly developed Occupational Health Surveillance Committee were held during 2007 and 2008. Key stakeholder representation included public health disease epidemiologists, occupational safety and health professionals, occupational medical providers, industrial hygienists, union members, business and local government, insurance industry, health officers, local health departments, OSHA enforcement and consultation, and the Department of Labor (workers' compensation). A subcommittee was formed to develop a work plan to meet goals and objectives. Initial steps were taken to develop a minimum occupational health surveillance program, including analysis and evaluation of several of the NIOSH/CSTE occupational health indicators. The main goal of this effort is to understand where the priority areas of concern are for NH and our workers, and where best to put our resources in reducing the magnitude and severity of work related injury and illness. The project will culminate in a statewide report and a one-day educational workshop for the broader community by the end of the year.